


My Captain's Sea

by pimpinsharkboy (lilrei)



Category: Free!
Genre: Adventuring, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Captain Nanase, Flashbacks, M/M, Minor Character Death, Pirates, Slow Build, Up the rating later, badassery, dreams of childhood, hints of reigisa, seigou if you squint, where rin is a barkeep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-13 01:20:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2131674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilrei/pseuds/pimpinsharkboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin Matsuoka works as a barkeep at the popular tavern 'the Siren' barely making enough to support his family. When he meets a mysterious group of men who have a hard time complying to the law, his life goes up in flames.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Making Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: When the islanders speak, you can assume its in patwa. I don’t know enough to write entire conversations but I wrote in slang english to differentiate from english conversations. (For those that don’t know patwa is a language commonly spoken in Jamaica but is similar to other pigeon languages spoken on caribbean islands)  
> I've always liked pirates and this was a great chance to write about them.

Rin stared at the newly posted advertisement on the crusty wall of the decrepit tavern. Twisting his fingers through wine-colored hair, he observed the poster that had distracted him from his work. Its wrinkling, yellowed paper made it obvious that even if the poster itself was new, the paper was old. Stroking the stubble that peppered his neck and chin, Rin tried to make sense of the advert. It wasn’t that the script was illegible (he was lucky enough to be able to read English); no it was perfectly clear. But he still had no idea what it meant.

The entire poster itself consisted of a large, poorly drawn sailing craft seemingly floating in what could only be guessed was water. Rin squinted at the small handwriting in the corner: ‘Help Wanted. Free Mackerel provided’. He had to admit, it sure was distracting.

“Matsuoka!”

Rin turned on his heel and rushed over to the bar, where 3 bottles of rum were thrust in front of him. Running his thumb over the silver ring on his middle finger, he tried to focus back on work. He didn’t need to worry about some nonsense posted on the walls of the popular tavern. It was nothing new.

“Table 7”, Seijuuro, the tavern owner, ordered.

“Got it”, Rin nodded before sliding the beverages onto a tray and making his way to a table across the room.

Weaving his way in and out of burly sailors was what he did for a living. Around this time of night, the tavern was always crowded with men coming into port. They hadn’t bathed in months, Rin noted with ernest disapproval, yet their first stop was always to come into ‘The Siren’. The tavern was a well-known establishment across the entire island. The smell of sweat, urine, and food rose above them and festered in the thick air of the stubby building.

Rin had been working at the notorious barhouse that lived up to its name ever since he was old enough. Run by a native family, it was one of the only ‘respectable’ places Rin could find work. The previous tavern owner had been a friend of his father and happy to give him a job.

After his father died, he had to find a way to support his family. With his undependable strength, he couldn’t become any sort of apprentice, and working on the island’s sugarcane plantation was out of the question. Even if his situation was bad, being a slave on the plantation was definitely worse. Most of the native islanders became servants or housemaids, but Rin was ‘lucky’ his father had been a settler and taught him English. Being half of something was the only thing keeping him completely out of the gutter.

His mother tried to sell some handmade clothes, but someone had to pay for fabric and other materials. His younger sister did her best to help but it just wasn’t enough. Rin didn’t even complain when he had to wear the ill-mended clothes made by her.

Sliding the bottles onto the table, he tried to ignore the leering eyes of the men who’d been at sea way too long. His lighter skin tone was a bit of a gift and a curse, as it brought more attention to curious eyes. It didn’t help that he hadn’t been able to cut his hair in months. He probably looked like some sort of exotic catch to them. 

Picking up his tray quickly, he noticed one of the other tavern-workers giving him a concerned look. Tucking the thin wood under his arm, Rin pinpointed exactly who was shooting him the glance. Weaving back through the tables, he flinched when a hand slid against his ass. Continuing his motions in the other direction, he tried to tune out the obnoxious hooting that thundered behind him. If only he could suppress the urge to vomit.

“’s real bad tanight”, Momotarou commented knowingly. He ran fingers through his greasy orange hair. “It’s prolly ‘cause the workin' girls're busy…”, he added his eyes hungrily searched the spacious area.

With his tray placed on the bar counter, Rin tied his hair into a lazy knot at the back of his head. 

Elbowing his junior in the stomach, he growled, “'f ya got time ta think 'bout prostitutes, you should grabbin' the meals sittin' on the bar”, Rin motioned to where Seijuuro was glaring holes in their backs.

Momotarou groaned and made his way towards his brother. Rin turned away when he heard a loud ‘thwack’ followed by complaining from the younger of the two.

The smell of alcohol and BO was a bit overwhelming to the point where Rin found himself holding his breath. Leaving the floor to the other 2 tavern workers, he snuck into the kitchen for fresh air. Or at least better air than that circulating around the greasy sailors. But the kitchen was only a mild improvement.

Today the chef had decided to make a stew, so the entire kitchen smelled of onions, fish and oil. Leaning against the brick wall near the wooden door, Rin took a deep breath. He didn’t know if he could take this anymore. Twisting his ring around his middle finger, he furrowed his brows. If the harassment from the brutish men wasn’t enough, half of them kept offering to buy him for the night. Along with the fact that most of them smelled like literal shit, there was a huge reason he couldn’t accept. He honestly needed the money, but it wasn’t worth getting his throat slit by the Mistress of the house. 

Grabbing a stray cheese rind, Rin started to gnaw on it. Best dinner in weeks, the redhead thought. He looked up at the ceiling and thought about the activities of the second level. The girls that lived out of Mistress Amakata’s brothel were often referred to as her ‘collection’. Because its addition to the tavern brought in more customers, Seijuuro had no problem with it. 

Another reason Rin was working was to keep his sister out of there. She was more than old enough to work there but he and his mother would never allow it. If at all possible, they could depend on Rin. It was his responsibility, as the most able to work.

The wooden door to the kitchen swung open harshly, prompting Rin to toss the cheese rind out of sight. A dark-haired head poked in helping Rin relax a bit. His best friend for years stepped into the steaming area and stretched his arms high above his head. Rin envied his more muscular form, along with his clothes that actually fit. He rarely got picked on by customers. Aqua eyes met scarlet with an unwavering gaze.

“Ya straight?” his head tilted to the side.

Rin grunted a positive response and brushed past him back out into the main hall of the tavern. He couldn’t keep relying on Sousuke for everything anymore. They weren’t kids any longer so he wouldn’t start crying over his problems.

Sousuke’s family wasn’t in quite the same situation as Rin’s. He was mostly working there to get extra money to leave the island with. He could afford to quit the job if he wanted, being perfectly capable of doing other work. 

“Matsuoka!” Rin jumped at his name which cut through the white noise of laughter and drinking.

Hurrying back over to the bar, Seijuuro gave him a strange look.

“Rin”, he started. “'f I catch ya wandrin' off 'gain, I’ll git ya myself. Won’t send ya friend”, the manager’s eyes hardened. “Take this ta table 10....” there was a pause. “How’s ya sister?”

Rin paused and met his boss’ eyes. They’d softened, wary of the redhead’s situation. Seijuuro had been at the cremation ceremony, his watchful gaze never left the flames once. Rin had grown up with this guy, but now their situations were so different. It seemed like just yesterday they were checking crab traps, and suddenly Rin was the sole provider for his family.

“Tired”, Rin answered truthfully. Everything was always tiring. 

Seijuuro returned the comment by pressing his lips together. He wouldn’t say anything, but Rin knew he was sweet on his sister. If only they had time to worry about such things. With a wave of his hand, he shooed Rin away to complete his task.

Rin looked down at the plate of grilled fish (which they usually didn’t serve), a bottle of rum and 3 mugs of beer. Nodding, he silently picked up the order. Rin was just grateful Seijuuro had given him a job, he should be making the best of it.

Balancing the cooked food and alcohol turned out to be a bit of a challenge as he navigated through throngs of people towards the far corners of the establishment. The air began to fill with the scent of tobacco and other smokes. Rin cleared his throat as he finally approached the table. Watching the order carefully, he set it down. Keeping his eyes to the table, he was about to walk away when a voice pierced his thoughts. 

“Damn, what a cutie”, a voice dripping with amusement caught Rin’s attention.

Most of the sailors only spoke English, but this guy was speaking patwa. Looking up through his stray hair, Rin froze. Seated around the table were people he could only describe as out of place. Their sparkling jewelry and mildly clean clothes hinted that they were in fact, not sailors. Or at least they didn’t smell like them.

A flash of a precious metal caught Rin’s attention. Looking to his left, he noticed a thick golden bracelet around the wrist of a tanned man with green eyes. But he wasn’t the one who’d spoken. He had a warm smile that sent a shiver down Rin’s spine mostly because of the cutlass and pistol hanging from his hip along with a large pink scar peeking out from under his (surprisingly) white shirt. 

A hand reached out to grab a mug of beer, snapping Rin’s eyes to his right. The next man was obviously much shorter than anyone at the table, yet he had the largest presence. Long blond curls hung from a piece of leather that failed to keep hair from draping over his shoulder. His leering grin sent another shiver down Rin’s spine make him scowl. 2 out of 4 creeped him out, great.

“How much for you babe?” Rin recognized the voice like drizzling honey, it was the man who’d spoken first.

Rin moved away subtly as the short man thumped his heavy boots onto the table and leaned back into his chair. His eyes took their time tracing the details of Rin’s body until his boots were rudely shoved from the table.

“More than you have…”, Rin muttered in English, eliciting a scoff from the blond. He refused to dignify the comment with a response in the same language.

“Nagisa!” the blue-haired man beside him scolded. “We’re eating off this table! Do you have any idea how much crud could be on your boots?” he didn’t comment about the other offer Rin noticed. Maybe the blond was the only one who could speak Rin’s native tongue.

The blue-haired man who was seated in between the blond and the man with the scar seemed to be uncomfortable with them being in a tavern in the first place. He had one hand constantly on his change purse and kept glancing out the swinging doors through the thin frames of his glasses.

The blond simply frowned, huffed and downed the beer hungrily. The blue-haired man and green-eyed man also reached for beer with a chuckle, but what caught Rin’s attention was the last man at the table. He hadn’t said a word, nor did he look up, but Rin couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

The royal blue velvet tricorne that rested on his head was tilted hiding his face. But as he tipped it backwards, Rin could see bright blue eyes hiding behind long waves of black hair that framed an angular features. Studded jewels adorned his ears. His hair shifted when he turned toward the food, exposing his thick beard and mustache. His boots were on the table yet none of the others seemed to comment on it. When their eyes met, Rin could’ve sworn he’d seen this guy’s face before. But the connection was lost when the older man slid his plate of fish from Rin’s tray and started to eat. He then grabbed the bottle of rum, draining the contents. 

“Here”.

Rin swiveled towards the brown-haired man holding out 2 copper pieces. Rin grabbed them and nodded before scurrying away from the table. He’d stood there for so long, they must’ve thought he was waiting for some kind of tip. Putting the coins in his shoe, he hoped Seijuuro hadn’t seen him do so. As he made his way back to the bar with his tray, he felt the heat of someone’s gaze on his back. 

Resisting the urge to turn around, Rin picked up the next order and went to find Momotarou. Maybe the younger boy had some information for him. He always seemed to pick up on the whispers floating around the establishment. He was suddenly very curious about the strangers, especially because they’d all been heavily armed. Even more so than the average occupant.

Momotarou was hanging off the bar looking around at the customers. His observant eyes took in small details in suspicious individuals. Coming up beside him, Rin poked his side. 

“Ya got anythin' on tha guys at table 10?” he glanced behind him for the short-tempered tavern-keeper, but didn’t find him.

“’s gonna cost ya”, the orange-haired boy grinned at Rin.

“How ‘bout I just don’t tell ya brother 'bout ya ‘breaks’ upstairs?” Rin couldn’t afford to spare money nor did he have time to be playing around with Momo.

“Fine, whatever…”, he conceded with a groan. “I dunno much 'bout 'em, but they know my brother. And they’re stayin’...upstairs”, he ended with sigh. 

Rin’s gaze shifted to the upper level of the aging tavern. A few scantily dressed women in heavy make-up were smoking as they stared off the balcony. The false smiles stretching their faces were enough to keep Rin from envying them.

Just then, Mistress Amakata stepped from her office with a thick cigar between her teeth. Her long brown hair was pulled up into an intricate bun, but a few pieces slipped from the bundle. Adjusting her bosom in the binding corset around her ribcage she stepped up to the banner lining the second floor. Clearing her throat, she prepared to address the lower level.

Plucking the rolled up tobacco from her painted lips, she held it daintily between her index finger and thumb. As she exhaled, rings of light smoke wafted up to the ceiling.

“Gentlemen”, her voice carried across the entire building and brought silence. “To quote a master: ‘Some are born great’”, she started towards the lengthy stairs as a a few men exited from some of the many doors along the wall. “‘...some achieve greatness’...” she continued by grabbing one man by his collar, he simply grinned drunkenly. “‘...and some have greatness...’” she pressed their bodies and lips together. “‘...thrust upon them’!” she pulled away but kept their hips pressed together. “Drink! For the women have arrived!”.

As she spoke, girls flooded from the second floor rooms and down to the ground level. Her english was impressive. Apparently they’d been cleaning up or something because all of them were fitted with cleaner gowns and fresh make-up, usually reserved for special occasions. Hooting and howling laughter erupted as the girls sat upon laps and started to help serve beverages. Language barriers meant nothing here. They were literally women of the night, Rin never saw them before the sun set. Rin could’ve sworn Momotarou was drooling beside him, the kid was just too obvious.

At that point the manager appeared with more meal orders and drinks. Rin was suddenly too busy to bother worrying about the strange men he’d just met. Soon they’d be gone just like everyone else who passed through the tiny island. A drink, some food, and a wild night, then gone. That’s how most people wanted it anyway.

Keeping his eyes on table 10 subtly, he watched to see if any of the occupants would be taking a woman upstairs. Not that it was any of his business...All save for the blond seemed to be uninterested in the new company. Holding one girl around her waist, and with another in his lap, he teased the blue-haired man excessively. He seemed to enjoy chatting up the blushing native girls.

Rin noticed that the black-haired man seemed especially unamused.

That is, until Mistress Amakata herself descended the staircase. As if he’d been waiting for her, his eyes held onto her shape as she approached. Rin looked away only as Sousuke asked him to help out serving a particularly large group. With the girls downstairs, the men were less touchy, but more alcohol was being ordered. 

Sliding beer and rum onto the wooden tables had never been so monotonous for him. All he wanted was to catch another glance of the man with hair darker than the night sky and with eyes as blue as the ocean. Something about his image was engraved into Rin’s mind.

When he finally had a moment to catch his thoughts, the object of his interest was missing from his previous location. All the men at the table were now being entertained by company, as if his presence had kept them from doing so. Rin’s eyes searched frantically for the man clad in dark blue hues amongst the familiar pasty yellow sailing uniform. He certainly stood out compared to anyone else in the area, but Rin couldn’t place him.

Reluctantly his eyes reached the stairway to the second floor. His heart dropped at the same moment two people disappeared behind a heavy door. He was gone. Even with all his lack of concern from earlier, the man had been hanging off Amakata with an arm over her shoulder. They’d gone into...her office? Rin blinked in a bit of confusion. Paying customers weren’t allowed in her office. Ever.

Rin continued his duties tending to the occupants of the tavern to try and get his mind off of the mysterious stranger. It shouldn’t bother him as much as it did. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Customers would come and go. If anything, he should just forget about it.

By the end of the night, or rather, the beginnings of the morning, Rin was exhausted. Most of the sailors were either upstairs, asleep drunk, or had staggered out of the building at some point in time. As the night progressed, the other men at table 10 had made their way to the Mistress’ office. If that wasn’t strange enough, they still hadn’t left. Maybe Momotarou was right about them staying in the tavern, even if it was uncommon.

But it was none of his business. He finally got to leave, get some sleep, and get away from the terrible smell.

 

Iwatobi was a little town barely deserving of the description. With a few scattered establishments and housing inland, it was only called a town because it happened to be right in between two of the largest ports in the area. Being directly in the middle of them, it was the perfect spot to refuel, rest, and prepare for the rest of the journey. The only reason anyone even bothered naming the rock was because the rum was to die for. The island was barely large enough to support a miniscule sugar cane plantation for the rum to be distilled. It was currently family-owned, but everyone and the navy was offering to purchase the property along with the rum business.

Slaves were brought in to do most of the heavy labor, as was common to most caribbean islands. But because the island was so small, natives were often used as a substitute. Only the poorest islanders would work there if there was no other option. 

But none of that mattered to Rin, because he was pissed off. When he returned home the night before, his mother dropped two surprises on him. Not only were they in greater debt because their home needed repairs, but his sister was going to start working on the plantation. Rin fumbled with the silver ring on his left middle finger. It was the only work she could get besides being a prostitute in the little ‘town’.

Rin kicked a small pebble lying in the center of the road. At this point he was just frustrated with everything. Sliding the ring off his middle finger he stood in the dirt as passerbies continued on their way. The little possession had been his father’s and he intended to hold onto it, but if it was silver, it would do him better as money.

“Rin”.

The redhead turned to see his best friend walk up beside him. The taller man slung his arm over Rin’s shoulder and started to drag him along. Rin slipped the ring back onto his finger.

“We gonna be late”, Sousuke urged Rin forward. “Today’s payday”, he soothed.

Rin perked up a bit. Maybe his pay would be enough to put a dent in their debt. He could only hope it would keep his sister off of the plantation. 

“I need tha money…”, Rin muttered.

“What’s up?” Sousuke inquired.

Rin considered not telling his friend about his problems. Because the last time he mentioned his family was in debt, Sousuke had offered to lend them money. He didn’t want to press his problems on anyone else. It was better just to keep them to himself.

“I just need tha extra money this week”, he shrugged Sousuke off. Everything would be fine soon, once the repairs were paid for, they would be out of debt if Rin had calculated correctly.

Sousuke continued to watch his best friend with a concerned look but didn’t pry. He knew that it would only make Rin angry, and in the end nothing would get accomplished.

 

The Siren was located at the southern of the island right beside the port. As they approached it, Rin could see massive ships anchored in the deeper sections of the water. Their gigantic sails made Rin’s heart flutter. The large yellowing material welled up as gusts of wind rushed through the fabric. One of the ships could be seen barely within eye-range disappearing over the horizon.

Even though the thought had never crossed his mind until now, he suddenly wondered if one of the ships belonged to the men he’d met the night before. They didn’t seem like ordinary sailors. With the way they were dressed, they could be noblemen. They could afford to sail to Iwatobi, but there was literally nothing here. They could be anywhere. Sailing to the edges of the world.

“Have ya ever wondered what ’s like out there? Like off this island?” Rin mused almost to himself.

Sousuke paused ahead of him. Rin was reminded of the other man’s dreams. His bright eyes would always sparkle when he spoke of other lands and oceans. He even owned several maps of places Rin had never heard of.

“Better’n this”, he muttered watching a seagull soar over the open waters.

Sailing was the only way off this godforsaken shit island but travelling was so expensive. It wasn’t something Rin needed to worry about. He would never have the money anyway. Catching up to the taller male, he tried his best to sling his arm over broad shoulders.

“Ya have ‘nough soon, right? Have fun”, Rin smiled bleakly trying only to comfort.

“Pffft...ya can’t git rid ‘f me that easy”, Sousuke’s eyes flashed.

Rin chuckled in return as his best friend elbowed him playfully. Soon they made their way closer to the edge of the island towards the port. The southern end of the island was rougher than the opposite side, sharp cliffs made it not as attractive as the beaches in the north. But this half was wider and could accommodate large shipping vessels at well-built docks.

The path leading to the sea water-smelling area was lined with spice, fish, and cloth merchants. All were trying to make money from the natives as well as settlers. That was the trade that kept the island’s popularity. But today something seemed a bit off to the redhead. The bright colors of the naval guard stood out against the dull, wasted clothing of the common folk. Soldiers were inspecting most of the stalls in the market area, which was normal, but their numbers were greater than usual. It was unnerving.

“I wonder what’s up”, Sousuke breathed getting closer to his friend.

“I don’t think I wanna know”, Rin’s eyes caught one particular man who had already been watching him.

Although the man was shorter than him, his eyes never wavered. Blue pupils traced his body and observed him, as if searching for something. Whatever the gray haired man was looking for, he obviously didn’t find because in seconds he’d moved on to Sousuke. That left Rin with more questions than answers. He was in naval uniform but more lax than the others around him.

His bright blue jacket symbolized his higher rank along with the tassels that adorned his shoulders. The empire’s finest were in the sorry excuse for a town armed with backswords and rifles. Rin’s senses heightened as he counted almost 25 of these higher ranking soldiers.

“What the fuck are you lookin’ at?” a soldier hissed in Rin’s direction.

He suddenly found the ground extremely interesting. This wasn’t first time he’d had to pretend he didn’t understand their hateful words. Most of them didn’t even bother yelling in something other than english. Scowling, he ran his hands through his hair. It was greasy and much more important than the hateful eyes of soldiers, outsiders. People who thought they belonged in Iwatobi more than anyone else.

Rin pointedly spit in their general direction and increased his pace towards the tavern down the hill. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice and would just leave him alone.

But of course nothing was going right for Rin as per usual.

“Oi!” A firm grip on his shoulder was his answer.

He was flung around in a manner that left his legs tangled. Stumbling, Rin finally regained his balance to face a soldier taller than him by almost a full head. In the back of his mind he suddenly wished he’d gotten more control of his temper. Scenes similar to his rarely ended well.

“You got something you wanna say you piece of shit?” he growled. Rin tensed as the man fingered the scabbard at his hip.

Feigning ignorance, Rin turned his gaze back to the dirt. It was better not to make a big deal out of things. With a tight grip on his collar, the soldier shoved Rin further away from him. Content with his actions, he grinned.

“That’s what I thought muddy”, the term used for people of mixed blood slipped through his teeth icily.

It took everything the redhead had not to turn around and sock him. One good punch to the jaw was a good cure for ignorance. Tension built in his limbs as he raised his right fist. Thankfully Sousuke grabbed his arm and started to drag him away muttering apologies in english.

“Ya just had ta show ‘em didn’t ya?” the dark haired man grumbled, annoyed.

“Shoulda just left me, now ya late”, Rin replied standing on his own.

Sousuke simply muttered to himself in words Rin was barely able to catch, frustrated with him. Something about leaving things as they were.

As they approached the tavern, Rin tried to quell the rage that’d clenched his hands into fists. He should be used to arrogance, but he was feeling a little off thanks to recent developments. Taking deep breaths of salty air, Rin focused on the task ahead of him. If he could get through the day and receive his pay, it would all be worth it. But then again his family was still living week by week. It would always be like this. If only he could increase his pay…

Sousuke nudged Rin lightly in the arm getting his attention. Two soldiers stood outside the tavern discussing something with its owner. Seijuuro seemed to be in a bad mood and ended in waving them off. Rushing away, they headed further down the dirt road towards other establishments. 

Gray clouds formed overhead as the sun settled into the western part of the sky. It was about time to get the tavern up and running for the night rush. Of course there were customers in and out all day, but more staff was needed after the sun set.

“Yamazaki!” the oldest Mikoshiba called.

Sousuke hurried over to the owner and he was given instructions. Rin took his time getting to the entrance and arrived at the end of the conversation. Sousuke was to bring in more barrels of rum from around the back and pay the delivery man. With one last sympathetic look at his best friend, the dark-haired man was gone.

Rin shoved his hands deep into his pockets and waited for instruction. He wasn’t as strong as his best friend so lighter jobs were often given to him. Seeing as he could speak english, he was often asked to receive any shipping from the ports to bring back to the tavern. These imported items included dried meats, spices, and other western products the tavern needed. 

“Matsuoka, there’s a special delivery in taday I want ya ta pick up. ’s some tha Mistress’ fancy shit”, he addressed Rin before motioning towards the docks. “Tha las’ boat on tha end”.

With that Rin gave a little groan. He’d have to walk all the way down the docks and back lugging whatever Amakata wanted with him. Along the way he’d have to avoid annoying merchants trying to sell him crap and pickpockets trying to get any coins off him. Rubbing the back of his neck, he silently nodded. There was no use in protesting, this was simply part of his job.

Increasing his pace to a light jog, Rin made his way down the wooden platform. The dock itself was mostly stable, but had a bit of a rock to it when the high tide came in. Large naval frigates were anchored off in the distance with their rowboats at the docks Rin noted. Those higher ranking soldiers really had been brought from the mainland. 

Reaching his destination, Rin started. At the end of the wooden platform, sat the blond and the blue-haired man from table 10 the night before. They were seated on opposite sides of the edge with a large crate in between them. Leaning on a post, was the man with the scar. All 3 looked up at Rin as he approached, of course they’d been expecting him.

They looked just as intimidating as the night before. The blond was picking his nails with a thin knife, while the brown-haired man was twirling a pistol around his index finger. These guys were definitely weird. Especially the blue-haired man who was reading for pete’s sake.

But Rin’s attention was caught by the black three-mast schooner anchored behind them. It’s massive white sails cast a shadow over the deck on which he stood. Although they were tied up, Rin noticed the knots were loose. He’d seen his father tie knots like those before he went travelling. 

“Oh, its that cutie from last night”, Rin turned at the comment in patwa.

“I came to pick up something for the Mistress”, Rin addressed the man with brown hair in english, ignoring the blond.

“We’ll help carry this and the other crates back to the tavern”, he replied with a warm smile.

Rin noticed the blue-haired man hoist himself onto the ship before handing another crate down to the pouting blond. He seemed ticked off that Rin had ignored him. He stood by the ship and took the last crate that was handed to him. The blue-haired man then turned and proceeded further onto the ship.

“Let’s deliver these before sundown”, the brown-haired man shifted the crate awkwardly in his arms. “Thanks for the help”, he stepped past Rin.

Help? He was just doing his job. He hurried to walk beside him down the dock, leaving the blond right behind them. He didn’t want to stand next to him lest he tried to continue to not speak english. It was strange hearing it come from a European’s mouth.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Makoto Tachibana”, he shoved the box onto his shoulder and extended his left hand to Rin.

What the hell? This crate weighed a lot and was huge. There was no way he could just put it on his shoulder like the taller male. Settling for an awkward smile and nod, he was surprised when Makoto chuckled.

“My bad. I’m just surprised your english is so good”, he continued talking and gripped the crate with two hands again.

“I get practice”, Rin answered feeling a bit of pride. “Rin”, he smiled.

“Sorry about that idiot Nagisa over there, he studies languages so he’s always trying to practice”, Makoto turned on the blond who was whistling to himself. “I hope he didn’t say anything offensive”, he continued shifting the crate again.

Rin couldn’t tell if this guy was being overly nice to get something or if it was just his personality. No one usually had normal conversation with natives unless they were trying to find something out. But from Makoto’s words, Rin only picked up a slight annoyance at his companion.

“So...what brings you to the island?” Rin chose his words carefully trying not to seem too curious. 

“Don’t you see the crates pickney? We’re delivering products”, the blond nudged between them with his shoulder, finally speaking in english. For the most part.

When he was closer, Rin could see that he was considerably shorter than him. With the crate in his arms, his face was almost completely blocked by wood. Nagisa stumbled further ahead of the other two and kept the faster pace. 

“The faster we get off this island, the better…”, he said almost to himself avoiding eye contact with a naval soldier.

“Do you...know the Mistress, like acquaintances?” Rin forgot how to put it. This was probably the longest conversation he’d had in english with anyone other than his father.

“Err…”, now Makoto seemed to be at a loss for words.

The tall, well-built man looked around awkwardly as if hoping to find his words somewhere in the dirt. Nagisa had stopped in front of the tavern and was glad to answer for him.

“I guess you could say that, bredren neh?” the blond was proud of himself for slipping in some of the island language.

Rin bristled but didn’t ask anymore. It was really none of his business and strange that these 2 were answering him in the first place. Around this time tomorrow they might be gone, never to be seen again. It didn’t matter how they knew Amakata.

Except for that fact that the black haired man hadn’t been with them.

Kicking the door open as gentle as possible, Rin waited for his eyes to adjust to the dimmer light inside the building. Sunlight tried its best to filter in through open windows, but seeing as it was close to sunset, there wasn’t much left. Holding the door open for the other two men carrying crates, Rin caught a whiff of something familiar.

“In the crates, what do you have?” he asked Makoto pointedly.

Green eyes met his for a fraction of a second. That was his answer, and Rin knew better than to press further. Inspecting the crate he held, he noticed there wasn’t a stamp from the dock master. Nor was there any sign that the boxes had been inspected. Loosening his hold on the delivery, Rin slowed his pace to the stairs. He got the feeling that something wasn't right.

The patrons still in the tavern at this time of day were not as rowdy as the night customers. Most sat at the bar. A few were scattered at random tables using dice for games or gambling. Seijuuro and Sousuke were nowhere to be seen, they were probably still running errands. Momotarou hung off the bar as usual cleaning a mug. But even so, the tavern had an eery silence that put the redhead on edge. 

Nodding at Momotarou, Rin was surprised to see his junior ignore him. Keeping his eyes to the mug in his hands, the orange-haired boy didn’t make eye-contact. Rin brushed it off as him being tired and proceeded to the staircase ahead. 

Taking each stair carefully, he kept a tighter hold on the crate. Whatever was inside was shifting around and making it difficult to carry. It made soft ‘clink’ ing noises as it hit each side of the wooden container. Rin had not the slightest guess to what it could be.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he cautiously set the crate down outside the Mistress’ door. Nagisa practically tossed his, but Makoto seemed not to struggle in letting his hit the ground. It was definitely lighter than Rin’s, as it hit the ground it didn’t even make a ‘thump’.

Rapping lightly on the thin door, Rin cleared his throat before calling out. Makoto and Nagisa were having a heated conversation in whispers that Rin couldn’t catch. The only thing he understood was ‘quiet’. They were right, it was strangely silent in here. 

“Mistress, your delivery”, Rin noticed Nagisa and Makoto shifting nervously beside him.

The door swung open with a thud, but it was not Amakata in the doorway. The black-haired man from the night before stood in front of Rin with the same bored look in his eyes as last night. His expression seemed more impatient than disinterested, but the way he swept out of the office showed a bit of both. Under his arm was tucked a medium sized box.

The Mistress stood behind him dressed in her finest and alert as ever. There didn’t seem to be evidence of whatever Rin was looking for. She simply gave him a sideways glances before turning her attention to Makoto.

The redhead realized he was out of place and made to go back down the stairs as the 3 men and Amakata started a conversation. It was entirely in a language Rin had never heard before, but it was similar to english. Pausing at the banner lining the upper level, he tried to catch a few whispers.

“...militar…”, he perked up. It sounded vaguely familiar.

The blond man was now looking at him as they whispered. With a bit of heat rushing to his face, Rin turned away and started down the steps. His pace quickened when he heard them start to move around.

Looking down at the tavern floor, Rin froze. A silence that felt heavier than any thundering noise had settled into the entire tavern. Even the whispering from upstairs had ceased. Glancing around, Rin realized that the bar was empty. The tables were empty. The entire building was empty save for he and his companions. The front doors swung askew.

“Shit”, Nagisa was beside him before he could react.

The blond immediately rushed to the windows, systematically closing them. Makoto followed his lead slamming shutters shut. Amakata locked the door to her office and scurried to another room on the second floor. All the while, the man in the tricorne took his sweet time descending the steps. Once on the first floor he gave Rin an odd look.

“Rin, are there any other exits to the Siren other than the front door?” Makoto called to him from across the building.

“Uhh...the kitchen has a door”, Rin offered genuinely confused tearing his eyes to the tall man.

He walked up to the bar and looked over the counter looking for some sign of anyone. None of the Mikoshiba brothers were present. Something weird was going on. Seijuuro wouldn’t leave his bar alone for this long even if he knew Rin was inside. Especially since everyone had cleared out.

“What's going on?” he asked to the open air.

Nagisa surprised him by throwing a chair against a wall, sending splinters flying everywhere. Makoto proceeded to uncap his container of gunpowder and was now pouring it across the floor. These guys had a weird idea of a good time.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!” Rin was about to grab Nagisa, but the black-haired man hoisted him up by the back of his collar.

He dragged Rin kicking over to the bar, and shoved him up against it. Rin’s back pressed painfully into the wooden pole lining the bar. It dug into his spine making him groan. 

“Quiet”, the man breathed, a ghost of a sound.

Rin complied and watched completely and utterly lost to why Nagisa was smashing chairs and Makoto was coating the place in gunpowder…

“Wait! That'll burn!” he turned to see the black-haired man hop the bar counter and start grabbing bottles of rum. “That’s expensive!!” the man ignored him as his cape draped over the counter.

At some point Amakata made it to the first floor with an annoyed expression on her face. She seemed strangely accustomed to the situation. Her eyes noted the details of the destruction without concern.

“What a waste…”, she muttered before pulling two pistols from under her skirts.

Rin was being swept up by their changed behavior.These seemingly average people were acting as if it was their job to tear the bar apart. Even the Mistress was acting strange, he’d sworn he’d never seen her hold a gun. 

Backing away from the bar where the black-haired man was dumping rum across the floor, Rin sputtered in disbelief. Surely he should be doing something to stop them but he was frozen in place.

“Wh-what is going on?!” he spun around waiting for someone to answer.

Amakata groaned and motioned at Nagisa.

“What’s he doing here?” she glanced around and noticed the tavern was deserted as well.

“He...kinda got caught up in this”, Nagisa was bouncing over towards Rin holding his sash in his hands.

“Answer me! What are you do-”, he was cut off by Nagisa twisting around him to bind his wrists behind his back and onto the railing of the bar.. 

“If we were under better circumstances, I would enjoy this more-” he drawled, sounding sweet again. 

“Nagisa! Focus!” 

Reluctantly the blond pulled away and went to help the man in the hat with emptying rum across the tavern. Struggling against his restraints, Rin hissed at the sting on his wrists. He had absolutely no idea what was going on and it’d be nice if someone were to clue him in. 

It took Nagisa and Makoto all of 10 minutes to completely decimate the tavern into a mess of wood splinters, pools of rum, and trains of gunpowder. It was obvious that they were planning to burn the establishment down, but Rin couldn’t figure out why. If they needed to run away, they could’ve gone out the back ages ago. Were they trying to destroy evidence? Rin shifted to try and view his restraint. The bar was about the height of his waist, maybe if he could undo the knot and hide behind the counter...

“Nanase’s got the charts, just give the signal”, Amakata motioned at the man in the tricorne.

So his name was Nanase.

“Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?!” Rin yanked at the sash ignoring the pain that shot up his arms. They all obviously knew each other and were playing some kind of destructive game, but if the tavern burned, he wouldn’t get paid! If he got caught up in all of this, what would happen to his family? 

There was a group groan and some muttering until Makoto hurried over to him. He seemed to be the only one willing to be patient with their captive. 

“Look, you got involved in some...stuff….and we’re still kind of in the middle of it”, a gold tooth flashed behind his lips. “We, uh, didn’t exactly tell anyone we were bringing the Mistress gifts so we kind of...pissed off the navy”, he ended almost like it was normal.

Rin stared at him in utter disbelief.

“How do you piss off the entire navy!?” Rin continued struggling. “And why’d you tie me up!?”

Makoto stood musing for a moment as his companions moved swiftly about the building. Rin noted that the black-haired man had paused to chug a bottle of rum while Nagisa was still smashing chairs, but the pieces were forming into a mountainous pile. The alcohol spilled down his chin and trailed down his neck.

“Let’s just say we don’t agree with the laws on taxes…”, Makoto finally answered hoping that would help.

Rin’s eyes widened. The jewelry, the boat waiting to leave, the mysterious packages, and finally all the firearms. He was definitely fucked. The navy would not leave these guys alone because they were-

“ATTENTION TAVERN OCCUPANTS! IN THE NAME OF HIS MAJESTY THE KING, WE ORDER YOU TO VACATE THE PREMISES”, a booming voice thundered from outside the building.

Along with that came the cocking of many rifles. Rin realized he’d stopped struggling. Twisting his body, he tried harder to wear away the cloth that bound him. If the navy wanted these guys and Rin was in the way, they wouldn’t stop for some islander. He needed out and fast. 

“Let me go!” he frantically looked around. “You don’t need me!”

“All set”, Nagisa called holding out a flint.

“How fast can you run?” Makoto’s eyes sparkled before he was cutting the fabric binding.

“Where-”

“ALL OCCUPANTS ARE CHARGED WITH PIRACY AS WELL AS AVOIDING TAXES AND NUMEROUS COUNTS OF ASSAULT. WE WILL USE FORCE”, the uniform march of the naval soldiers was overwhelming. There were way more than 10 men out there.

“YOU’RE PIRATES!”

“Looks like we got us a smart one!” Nagisa lit the pile of wood and it started to release flames.

“We prefer the term ‘privateers’”, Makoto added gently before grabbing another bottle of rum from across the counter.

Throwing it into the growing fire , the flames crackled their approval. Rin’s eyes widened in shock. They were planning to burn the entire tavern down. The black-haired man was pressed to a window near the front of the entrance that faced the road. His slight frame sagged into the wall of the building.

“It’s almost sundown!” Nagisa was fanning the flames with a serving tray.

“They’re closing in on us, we have to move”, Nanase swept his cape about him and stood before Rin. 

His eyes were cold and calculating, probably deciding what to do with Rin. Most of his companions tended to be nice to their captive but maybe he’d be different. When blue eyes met Rin’s, the redhead recognized the emotion in them. He was tired.

“Captain!” Makoto’s voice snapped Nanase’s eyes to him.

“It’s getting late, we’d better head out”, Nanase replied casually. “Exit?” he turned to Rin.

Rin was at a loss for words. Not only was everything happening so fast but his brain had decided to stop working. The words spoken just bounced around in his head as he stared at his captors blankly. Amakata groaned.

“This way”, she motioned at the kitchen.

The 3 men followed after and left Rin standing in the middle of the smoky tavern. The flames were reaching the ceiling at this point and sparking at the random gun powder on the floor. Rin’s life was literally going up in flames, if he was in a better mood he would’ve laughed at that fact. But in this moment he was facing death in more ways than one. His mind was still processing everything when he was suddenly slung over Makoto’s shoulder and being carried out.

“PUT ME DOWN!”, his foot collided with the taller man’s chest.

“I don’t think you wanna be in here when this place blows”, Makoto’s hold never faltered. 

That shut him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I actually started writing this, hopefully I'll be able to stick with it and make it to the end. I want to thank officialwater, rinsbae, broken-synchronicity, renkakirai for either proofreading or even just helping me to come up with ideas.  
> I've already started chapter 2, so comments are much appreciated  
> Pickney- child  
> Militar- police/military


	2. Illegal Activities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin learns the hard way that pirates always find the most difficult ways to solve their problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Different languages will be in italics now because its less frequent, sorry for any inconvenience. I just felt it would be easier to read because it becomes more frequent  
> Prepare for pirate fights

Rin could barely remember the last time he was picked up by another man. His father had been teasing him about something, and simply slung him over his shoulder. But then, he’d been a small child. This was completely different. He was hanging over another man’s shoulder against his will and being carried out of his place of work. There was no possible way to justify the situation, or make it sound better. It was what it was. And it was utterly emasculating.

Rin found himself looking down the other man’s back as his pelvis continued to collide with his shoulder. If the bouncing wasn’t enough, his struggling only made his position more uncomfortable as Makoto navigated out of the tavern. Realizing his resistance was futile against the strength of the brown-haired man, Rin gave up and let his arms hang.

When the taller man first burst through the doors into the kitchen, Rin smelled the smoke coming from this separate room. These pirates were really thorough when it came to blowing shit up. Makoto paused and fidgeted awkwardly.

“On your left”, Rin pointed with his loose leg.

“Thanks”, Makoto took off in the direction weaving around barrels of pickled vegetables and bags of rice.

It only took him a few more seconds to make his way out of the now smoking bar and into the little alleyway behind. Rin looked back at the tavern with mixed feelings. He had said he hated working there. But he kind of missed the shithole.

Makoto stumbled again and made the decision to run to his right towards the open and busy main street. Rin’s forehead subsequently knocked against his firm back making him groan. He couldn’t see what was going on but he knew they had to get far enough away from the tavern  to avoid being injured by the explosion.

Looking out behind them as Makoto ran, Rin wondered what would’ve happened if he’d just gone back downstairs after delivering the package. He didn’t need to stay and listen to the rest of their conversation. Maybe then he wouldn’t be aiding criminals. He could have lived a long healthy life without being slung over another man’s shoulder. He could be on the other side of this confrontation,  or maybe not even involved in it. But it was too late for any of that, he was in too deep to get away now.

Makoto came to a halt at the opening of the alleyway. Rin squirmed and elbowed his carrier in the head.

“I think I can walk”, his voice was more agitated than he expected.

Makoto dropped him unsteadily onto his feet without another word. Rin straightened his clothing and looked out onto the open street. There would be no point in trying to run away, the other end of the alley was blocked by shipping containers. Fingering his ring, Rin turned his attention to the other members of Makoto’s party.

Nagisa held a gun in one hand, thumb over the hammer. Amakata looked about ready to kill someone. All the while, the man with black hair leaned heavily against the stone wall of the tavern, his pained expression masked by the waves of hair covering the sweat dripping down his forehead.

He turned to look at Rin, and blinked slowly. Removing a paper folder from his jacket, he tossed it in Rin’s direction. Catching the case, Rin stared at it.

“Hold that for me”, Nanase breathed before slumping down the brick wall.

What a strange thing. Rin was reluctant to take something from a pirate. It could only get him into more trouble, yet Nanase looked like he was going to die on his feet. He could be entrusting Rin with something important. Sliding the thin folder under his shirt, he dropped his eyes from the other man. His crew seemed uninterested in his distress, so Rin thought it best not to bring it up. After all, he wasn’t really involved.

Makoto had been watching the interaction dismally. Finding a moment, he crept towards the opening of the alley. The taller man motioned for the others to follow him as he glanced cautiously into the street. Rin was suddenly very aware, that like the bar, it was oddly quiet for the busy area near the port. Fingering his ring self-consciously, he brought it to his lips. There was a very slim chance he was going to get out of this unscathed. The sun was dipping lower into the sky, and he knew he would look like an accomplice no matter how one put it. He would just have to keep quiet and hope everything worked out somehow.

“‘If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well; It were done quickly’”, Amakata breathed almost to herself.

Makoto turned back towards his companions.

“They’ve got us surrounded, the dock is blocked, and we need to get away from this building as quickly as possible. Ideas?”

“We could always just kill them all”, Nagisa added nonchalantly waving his gun around.

“Don’t have time for that”, Amakata’s eyes flashed to Rin.

“We need some...leverage…”, Nagisa’s strawberry-colored irises traced Rin’s body.

If Rin hadn’t been so shaken up about the whole pirates thing, he would’ve been bothered. Instead he focused on trying to avoid being near these people. As long as they were together, the probability of him dying increased. Different escape plans ran through his mind, but most ended with Rin getting arrested.

Makoto was looking a little impatient, his brows were creased in a worried frown. Twirling his weapon around his index finger, he took a deep breath. His voice carried with a tone of authority.

“This better work Nagisa, or you owe me”, he conceded.

“Yessir”, the blond awkwardly saluted by raising his pistol to his chest. “ _Wanna do me a favor boy_?” hungry eyes were back on Rin.

The redhead glanced around nervously. He wanted nothing to do with this. If anything, he’d make a run for it once the pirates got shot up. He didn’t need to be involved, he had people to live for. But of course today was just not Rin’s day.

* * *

****  
  
  


Apparently Nagisa’s brilliant plan was to drag Rin by his elbows before the navy and beg for their escape. If that wasn’t laughable enough, Makoto and Amakata were planning to shoot any stray naval officers. There were a few things wrong with this plan that Rin was insistantly bringing up. But his complaints were lost as he was pushed before a row of armed soldiers.

In the middle of the normally busy port road, stood almost 20 top ranking naval men blocking passage towards the docks. Using the typical military firing formation, they stood in two rows. The first knelt down before the second, but all had muskets pointed in Rin’s direction. Their cold eyes portrayed one of the redhead’s first problems with the plan.

They didn’t give a shit about his life.

Nagisa had amazingly put Rin and himself in the worst situation possible for either of them. He’d pulled Rin flat against his chest, which was amusing because Rin’s taller form completely dwarfed his smaller body. Holding his pistol to Rin’s temple, the redhead could smell the fresh gunpowder. With his arms held tightly behind his back, Rin found himself stuck in place.

“This isn’t gonna-”

“Fucking heard ya the first time!!” Nagisa hissed at him.

Rin struggled to move as Nagisa held him in place. A shiver ran down his spine as he heard a hearty chuckle from behind the ranks of the naval men. Looking up, he met eyes with the officer who’d thrown him around earlier. Not 30 feet from their location stood a tall, broad-shouldered man with one hand on his backsword.

“Who’d ‘ve thought this _muddy_ would be involved with pirates!” The man said, chuckling. He apparently found his discovery absolutely hilarious.

Rin  bared  his teeth in a snarl. He’d be glad if the pirates somehow managed to off this asshole.

“Commander Sasabe”, a short silver-haired man got his attention. “The tavern workers say he’s only a barkeep.”

At that Rin looked past the naval men. Behind them were more lower ranking soldiers holding off civilians from entering the area. Some of them, Rin recognized; the Mikoshibas and Sousuke. He’d wondered where they were, at least they weren’t hurt.

Nagisa cleared his throat, “Hey! Navy bitches! I got a proposition for ya!” the smaller man poked his head out from behind Rin’s shoulder.

“This isn’t gonna work!”, Rin hissed one last time.

“Shut up!” Nagisa retorted  in his ear.

A hearty laugh brought their attention back to the navy.

“And what might that be?” the Commander pulled a pistol from a holster at his hip, amused as ever.

Commander Sasabe eyed his weapon with a smug grin, as if he knew this whole situation was completely laughable. He never lifted his gaze from his gun, even as seagulls cried overhead. His calm demeanor made the redhead’s heart drop. Rin knew this would be it. Struggling more, he tried to get out of Nagisa’s iron grip.

“Let us pass”, the blond started, pulling back the hammer to his pistol. “Or I shoot”.

“Alright”, in one swift motion, the Commander’s gun was cocked, and a thundering echo bounced off of the tavern wall.

Rin noticed Nagisa return fire first. The blond dropped him easily to land a shot in the first row of naval officers. His small, lithe body twisted as he dove to the side firing his weapon. He managed to leave a lead shot buried in a soldier’s chest. The man flew backwards from the impact. Within seconds, the blond was sprinting for cover behind stray shipping crates.

At some point Makoto and Amakata bounded from the alley, decimating the first row of men before they could be ordered  to attack. One of Amakata’s more calculated shots sprayed blood into the air as the lead tore through a man’s throat. He yelled, clutching at the spurting injury and collapsed on all the men beside him. The naval soldiers were getting to their feet and rushing towards their attackers.

Rin couldn’t remember when he’d started looking up at the sky. He’d flown onto his back before he finally felt the pain of his wound, the force of the impact had thrown him from his feet. Without air in his lungs, his chest rose and fell quickly, with short, hurried breaths.

There was something in his shoulder, he didn’t know how, but he felt a burning intrusion in his joint. His eyes squeezed shut as his hand clutched his left shoulder. Pulling his shaking fingers into view , his body stiffened. Blood, so much blood. His shoulder was burning white hot, as if he’d been branded.

Holding back pained cries, Rin missed the battle unfolding before him. Clawing at his injured limb, he panicked when blood soaked into his shirt. His arm shook violently along with the rest of his body, the bullet wound bringing more pain with every shifting movement. Screaming, Rin held back the tears in his eyes.

He hated it when he was right.

In his attempt to prove a point, the Commander left a shot buried in Rin’s left shoulder. A wave of nausea dizzied Rin’s thoughts, but Rin finally managed to look up. When adrenaline pumped  through his veins, the burning turned into a dull ache which let him take in the scenes around him.

Nagisa and Makoto were currently locked in battle with bayonet holding soldiers, while Amakata was popping shots off into any man who approached her. Trying to sit up, Rin clenched his teeth and ground them together. His left arm was starting to go numb.

He wasn’t prepared for the body that slammed into the earth beside him, making him start. A man’s lifeless eyes stared into his own, a gunshot wound in the center of his forehead. A pool of blood was forming underneath his head, slicking his straight black hair. His dust covered cheeks were rounded in youth, barely older than the redhead himself.  With his lips gently parted, he seemed almost to be in mid-speech. Rin had to choke back the bile that rose in his throat.

He’d seen death before, but never like this. This shook his very being and hollowed his mind. The naval officer had been there, alive and breathing, then gone. It wasn’t as if he’d slowly wasted away from illness like his grandmother, his life had been torn away from him against his will. The same would happen to Rin if he got mixed up in the rest of the fighting.

At that, Rin found his legs. Sitting up, he grabbed his arm and muffled a groan. All around him men lay unconscious with various injuries. The dirt was soaked with blood, spilled by 3 people. Glancing at his captors, Rin noticed Nagisa slicing open a man’s stomach with a light-hearted grin. Entrails blossomed from his torso like a disgusting blooming flower.The blond’s bright eyes blazed brightly with intensity as blood sprayed over his clothing and the man crumpled to the ground like paper. Flicking blood from his dagger, he sunk it into another guard’s thigh and fired a lead shot into his face.

Makoto plunged his cutlass into a soldier’s chest, Rin winced as the crack of severed bone and ligaments reached his ears. Makoto paused only to press his boot against the body and yank it out. The screaming officer flew backwards foaming blood from his nose and mouth. His body convulsed violently before holding frighteningly still.

But the brown-haired pirate never lost his timing. He spun around  removing a hand by his blade and continue to remove an arm. Strangled cries from - Makoto’s opponent echoed in Rin’s ears as he was sliced across his chest, joining the other high ranking soldiers in the blood soaked dirt road. Rin’s eyes widened. They weren’t trying to injure men. They were _killing_ them without a second thought.

To make it all worse, the tavern exploded in that moment with a deafening ‘boom’. Rin was knocked onto his back as debris was tossed into the air. The heat burned his skin as he used his one good arm to cover his face, curling into a ball. The blast took out 2 more soldiers, and knocked the pirates off their feet as well.

But Amakata was quick to make use of the situation. Dragging herself off the ground, she stumbled over to Rin and inspected his wound. Placing her weapons in the dirt, she furrowed her brows.

“Christ, you’re bleeding out”, she muttered before military commands could be heard over the ringing in Rin’s ears.

Rin attempted to scoot away from the woman. She’d just killed so many men yet she’d come over and talked to him so casually. As if she hadn’t taken someone’s life just moments ago. But she simply followed after him holstering her weapons. While everyone else was still in shock, she tore a piece of cloth from her skirts and made to wrap it around Rin’s shoulder.

“Don’t…” Rin managed. He couldn’t remember when speech had become lost to him.

Amakata ignored him and wrapped the makeshift bandage around his shoulder eliciting curses from the redhead in his native tongue. She tied it tight enough that Rin could hear the pained throbbing of his limb in his ears. It felt like she was making it worse, but he had no energy to complain. Everything was going hazy.

Staying on his back, the redhead dry heaved until he caught hold of himself for a moment. She was right, he was going to bleed out with the hunk of lead in his shoulder just because he’d come to work on time. Perfect. And what would his family do if he died here? None of this was his fault. He’d simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Cradling his injured arm to his chest, Rin could feel his throat tighten as tears threatened to fall from his eyes.

“Fuck!”, Rin turned to see Nagisa being pistol whipped not 10 feet away.

A dark red mark showed on his bruised cheek as he growled in indignation. Attempting to shoot at his attacker, he only managed to get a boot to the chest. Skidding back against the ground, the blond’s weapon flew into the air. His silver-haired attacker flipped him onto his stomach, and twisted his arm tightly behind his back. With a knee between his shoulder blades, Nagisa muttered insults and curses.

“One down Commander.”

Blue-eyes locked on Makoto who was still fighting another guard.

With a flick of his wrist, the naval soldier disarmed the taller man and elbowed him in the face. Blood splurted from Makoto’s nose as he stumbled backwards, into the waiting arms of another officer who handcuffed his wrists together. Doubling over, the brown-haired man struggled mildy until he was dealt a blow to the back of his head. He fell to his knees groaning.

“Shit”, Amakata was standing with her guns aimed at the nearest target.

Before she could shoot, the Commander himself pressed his gun to the back of her head.

“Such a shame a pretty woman like you got involved in such an ugly mess.”

The commanding officer looked proud of himself.

“Walk!” he said, as he ushered the woman to where Makoto and Nagisa were kneeling, handcuffed.

Everything had just gone to shit in one bad day. He’d gone from a disgruntled barkeep to a dead man in that short expanse of time. Only that morning Rin had kissed his mother’s cheek, telling her things would get better, barely believing it himself. He wondered who would tell her that her son had died after becoming involved with pirates. Or that she now had to fully support herself without him. Rin tried to remember the sweet, singsong of her voice but only found ringing in his ears.

Rin concentrated on his breathing as he felt a drowsiness sink into his mind. It was getting harder to keep his eyelids open, sleep seemed like a much better option than waiting to bleed out in the dirt. His mind was going hazy as he stared up at the sky. He closed  his eyes, and let his mind drift.

It wasn’t the color of Nanase’s eyes.

* * *

****  
  
  


 

“Where is your captain?!” Commander Goro shouted at the pirates kneeling before him.

The Commander moved to glance at Rin. He only spared a few moments, finding the islander not worth his time, he turned to the alley they’d originally come from. When the tavern exploded, the building had been decimated and even started smaller fires in its vicinity. Civilians scrambled around dumping sea water from buckets onto the flames.

“Lieutenant, check the injured and record casualties”, he ordered the silver-haired man who simply bowed away. “Search the tavern wreckage for the charts!”

The lower-ranking soldiers who hadn’t been involved in the scuffle scattered to search the wreckage as civilians stumbled around the street. They’d been shooed away but were now returning to inspect the battle that had taken place in their town. Islanders eyed the naval officers curiously, and the dead bodies in fear. Nothing big ever happened in Iwatobi.

Nagisa looked up at the blond Commander with determination. Thrashing around, he pulled at the restraints on his wrists. Makoto knelt still hunched over coughing up blood. Amakata was soon handcuffed and shoved next to her partners in crime. They’d gone from killers to prisoners.

“So that’s what you’re-” , Nagisa was silenced by a kick to the back of his head.

The blond doubled over shaking and clenching his jaw. He wouldn’t sound pained even if it killed him. He wouldn’t give the navy the pleasure.

The remaining 11 high ranking naval guards weren’t exactly happy about their comrades being killed. They circled the pirates with watchful eyes. It seemed like the slightest movement  would give them a reason to kill. Some of the finest men the navy had to offer were lying dead in the dirt.

“I’ll ask you again. Captain Nanase?” Commander Sasabe’s eyes flitted up and down the road.

There was no way the pirate could’ve gotten past his blockade. He wasn’t about to walk away from this incident without his prize.

“Goro”.

The Commander’s eyes caught on Nanase’s figure as he left the darkness of the adjacent alley. He leaned heavily to his left side, with one arm clutching his torso. His shoulders rose and fell rapidly making it appear as if he’d topple over at any moment. Making his way slowly over to his crew, he coughed loudly.

His spectacular royal blue jacket hung from his shoulders covered in soot and dirt. As he limped, his dark boots dulled in color with added dust and grime. He looked like a walking corpse if anyone had to put a word to it. His hat was tattered and barely resting upon his head, giving the impression that he’d tried to fix it at some point.

“You look like a fish out of water Nanase”, Commander Sasabe sneered. “It doesn’t suit you”.

“Proud of catching me are you?” Nanase’s black hair draped over his face as he was lost in another fit of coughs.

The Commander huffed indignantly. He motioned for two guards to bring the captain over to his crew. Nanase practically had to be lifted and dragged by the guards in order to reach them. Falling to his knees in the dirt, he was handcuffed like the rest. Makoto turned to him with a look of horror, then to Nagisa who was still shaking. Their captain hadn’t even put up a fight.

“Where’s your other man?” Goro’s eyes narrowed at Nanase.

There was no answer. The Commander growled, irritated. Punching Nanase across the jaw, he seemed a little satisfied.

“We’ll only find him later”.

“You’re lucky the sun’s down…”, Nanase muttered looking up for the Commander’s eyes, a bruise forming across his face.

“And you’re lucky I’m not s’posed to hang you ‘till tomorrow”, he practically burst into laughter. “The Great Captain Nanase! Captured by me! If I could take you back to Europe, you’d draw quite the crowd”, the Commander rested his foot on Nanase’s shoulder. “Even looking like this”.

The Captain didn’t answer but simply waited to be taken away. He could barely breathe properly.

As the pirates were herded into town’s sole prison, the silver-haired Lieutenant paused standing over Rin’s body. Crouching down, he brought his ear to the redhead’s nose.

“Commander! This one’s still breathing”, he reported rising to his feet.

The Commander paused in his gloating to pick a filled bottle of rum from the debri of the tavern. He was informed by a petty officer that most of the tavern was completely destroyed. Even in the smoldering ruins, nothing could be found.

“Nanase really didn’t leave anything for me…”, uncorking it, he started to chug the contents. “Throw him in there with the rest. He was helping them or whatever”, he sauntered over to the tavern owner.

He calmly informed Seijuuro that his employee  had been aiding and abetting a group of known pirates, and would  be hanged along with them the next day.

When Mikoshiba protested, he also informed him politely that the Mistress of his tavern was also involved, and that if the Commander saw fit, he could arrest all the tavern workers as well.

For the first time in his life, Seijuuro Mikoshiba was quietly angry.

Rin was slung over a lower-ranking soldier’s shoulder and carried to the prison much to Sousuke’s distress. The navy ignored the islanders. Commander Sasabe pulled a wanted poster from his pocket and ripped it in half snickering to himself. No more Captain nanase.

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“ _Rin!”_

Rin looked up from his small hands to see his mother sitting on the shore. She held his younger sister in her arms as she drifted off to sleep. Their ruby hair shone in the warm colors of the sunset.

Rin had always admired her dark, coffee toned skin. A necklace of shells hung from her long neck, bringing out her collarbones. Rin remembered the look his father gave his mother, always whispering the word ‘beautiful’ when he was around her.

She was probably going to scold him as always.

“ _You mustn’t go out into the deeper water_ ”, she pestered him lightheartedly.

Rin waded further out into the tugging waves as he searched the waters for small fish. The clear, azure liquid engulfed his body with a refreshing chill. Sinking down so that the water was up to his chin, Rin giggled.

_“I can swim well mama, papa taught me! See?”_

Rin was very impressed with himself when he was able to dunk his head under and swim farther away. Resurfacing at a greater distance from the shore he giggled louder.

_“I know baby, but you’re not the only one in the water_ ”, his mother grinned knowingly.

Did she have a secret? Rin paddled to where he could easily stand in the shallow tides. Digging his heels into the sand, he listened closely. His mother knew so much about the island, she had so many stories.

_“If you go out too far, you might be caught by a fish. If they like you, they’ll turn you into one of them_ ”, his mother was completely serious. “ _They like bad little boys who don’t listen to their mothers_ ”, she added.

Rin froze. He didn’t want to become a fish. Running through the water, he stumbled onto the shore near his mother and sister. Why hadn’t she told him this before? Looking around his feet, Rin searched for a fish trying to attack him.

“ _Will they eat me?!_ ”, he was confused to how his mother was so calm about the situation.

“ _No, they don’t eat people. They’re just really lonely so they want to make friends_ ”, she soothed, running her fingers through Rin’s damp hair.

Combing it back into place, she smiled at its texture. His hair was straighter and darker than hers, but almost the same color.

“ _Now come along, papa said he would be home early today. He promised to bring you a gift didn’t he?_ ” Rin’s mother stood as Gou drowsily climbed onto her back.

Rin’s little sister had passed out after playing in the water only a few minutes, it was time for her nap anyway. Shifting the little girl further up her back, Rin’s mother waited for Rin to follow her up the sandy trail.

“ _The fish are lonely?_ ” Rin murmured to himself looking back out at the vast ocean. “ _Why?_ ”

Rin didn’t understand. There were more fish than he could possibly count in the ocean, they had no reason to be lonely. They could just talk to each other. They could swim anywhere, visit anywhere, and even meet new people if they wanted. But Rin was stuck on this island hearing stories about far off lands he’d never visit. How could the fish who were so free be so lonely?

“ _The fish are lonely because they wish they could talk to humans. They wish they could sing, laugh, even play music. But they can’t in the water_ ”, his mother answered.

Rin guessed that made sense. According to another story his mother told him, fish jumped out of the water to see onto land. By observing some of the human’s fun, they would feel a little less lonely.

“ _C’mon Rin!_ ”

“ _But I don’t want the fish to be lonely, can’t I play with them?_ ” he didn’t mind being a fish for a little while.

Rin’s mother tilted her head slightly. Pursing her lips, she looked out at the vibrant hues of the setting sun.

“ _Well...They only come out at night. And if you play with them at night…_ ”  she met her son’s eyes. “ _You’ll stay a fish forever_ ”.

Rin was horrified. He hurriedly climbed up the sand mounds to where his mother stood, still damp from his swim. Being a fish would be fun for a while, but he didn’t want to swim around in his own pee!

“ _Hurry mama! The sun’s goin’ down!_ ” Rin held onto her skirts tightly in one hand while trying to drag her away.

“ _Alright, alright_ ”, his mother followed behind him as they made their way inland.

Rin looked up at the golden twilight. The sky was usually vast and blue, like the ocean. He wondered if there were fish in the sky as well. He hoped they weren’t lonely.

****  
  
  


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Rin woke with a start, sitting up hurriedly. He froze and groaned before leaning back against a cold stone wall. With his heart beating rapidly, and breath coming in pants, he started to panic. He was disoriented and in almost unbearable pain, unlike how he normally woke up.

“Holy shit, he ain’t dead”.

“Lucky bastard”.

Rin’s eyes frantically looked around catching on hazy shapes in the dim lamplight. His shoulder was throbbing, his head felt like someone had hit him with a cow, and his wrists felt stiff. Tilting his head downward, he realized they were cuffed together. Tugging at the restraint, he winced at the shot of white hot pain that seared into his shoulder. That was one sign he was still alive.

Breathing heavily, Rin coughed and doubled over in his seat position. Starting to tremble, he groaned. His thoughts were still jumbled and none of this made sense. There were hushed whispers around him and he was in such intense pain, he wanted to vomit.

“Rin?”

Rin glanced upward slowly to see a tall brown-haired man standing over him. The man crouched down to his eye level with a warm smile. His arms were cuffed behind his back as well, and his eyes examined the redhead. Rin tilted his head back against the stone he was propped against. Meeting the other’s green eyes, it all rushed back to him. Seeing the injuries to the other man’s face brought it back.

He’d been shot. He was only trying to do his job by delivering a package to the Mistress when some crazy pirates had gotten him involved with the navy. And it wasn’t in anyway his fault. Rin groaned again but from annoyance at the situation.

Trying to gather his thoughts together, Rin realized his mouth and throat were dry. He tried to form words, but couldn’t find his voice. Grinding his teeth together he surveyed their surroundings.

“I’m glad Amakata bandaged you up, it’s still lucky you’re alive”, Makoto managed as he sat down in front of Rin. “We were arrested and we’re to be hanged tomorrow. Glad you woke up in time”.

From the looks of it, the entire crew was shoved into one large cell. Rin had seen Iwatobi’s miniscule prison on a few unlucky occasions, it really wasn’t much of anything. An old naval armory had been renovated to accommodate the town’s drunks and the petty pickpockets. There were never any serious criminals in the one-story stone building. But on the occasion there were, they were usually hung the next day,  their prison experience was usually short.

“Hey”, Makoto leaned in close to Rin. Rin could see flecks of brown in his eyes. “Can you tell me your name?”

Rin licked his lips. “Rin...Matsuoka…”, he murmured glad for the ability of speech.

“What’s my name?”

“M-makoto...”, Rin remembered the name.

Makoto seemed a little satisfied with the answers. He turned around to address the other 3 people in the jail cell.

“He seems to be hanging on, but I don’t know how long he’ll last”.

“If my hands weren’t cuffed, I’d change his bandages”, Amakata piped in struggling to her feet.

Rin could hear catcalls echoing from the other cells in the small building. It was rare to have a female prisoner. It didn’t help that her skirts barely reached her mid thigh. Amakata ignored the distasteful noises elegantly and carried herself with a grandiose air Rin knew was common for the woman.

“I’m surprised they threw him in here with us”, Rin heard Nagisa’s smooth tone from the other side of the enclosure.

The blond was sitting against the opposite wall sporting a bruise on his left cheek and dried blood from his forehead. His head was tilted to the side in an awkward angle and he wore a solemn expression. To his right, sat their noble captain, crouched with his knees to his chest. He didn’t bother speaking or even looking up as Nagisa’s gaze fell on him.

“It’s been almost 2 days”, he commented in Makoto’s direction.

The taller male had a few injures of his own, including a black eye. He narrowed his one good eye and turned back to Rin. His eyes seemed hollow and dead as they landed on Rin’s chest.

“Do you still have the folder Nanase gave you?” Amakata was at his side and sitting as well.

Rin nodded weakly feeling another wave of drowsiness pass over him. He tried flexing his fingers on his left hand but found the action painful. Glancing around the cell, he looked past the iron bars blocking the entrance. The dingy bricks that made up the prison’s walls were browning from the humidity constantly in the air. The small candles barely illuminated the darkened building since the sun had fallen. It was a dark and gloomy coffin for a man with a short-temper, Rin could comically say it was fitting.

Amakata didn’t ask him anything further on the subject, so Rin let his head loll to the side. Rubbing his thumb over his middle finger, he stiffened when he felt his ring missing. He hadn’t even noticed it gone. Groaning, he glared at the pirates. The navy had probably taken all their valuables and weapons, including Rin’s ring. They’d better return it to his family after he died.

Rin couldn’t say he blamed anyone but himself for his situation, other than the pirates. In all honesty he didn’t have the energy to get angry, or even swear at the people who’d brought him to his death. He felt an odd sense of calm at the fact that he wouldn’t have to work any longer, or be the support for someone. With him gone, Mikoshiba would help out his family. He knew their situation. At least that’s what the redhead forced himself to believe.

He didn’t remember when he’d accepted the fact that he was going to be hanged. Maybe it was after he’d been shot in the shoulder. It was oddly serene to know that he could do nothing about it. He could just sit in the cell until he either died of fever or was hanged the next day, either way his fate was set.

But he knew better than that. These pirates weren’t the type to just go along with something. He’d learned that the hard way.

Makoto was up and looking about their surroundings. Rin didn’t know why they bothered, he would probably just bleed out here and they’d be hanged the next day. He couldn’t tell what time it was due to the lack of windows, but the stifling heat in the cell made him care less about tomorrow. Even if they managed to get out of the cell, there was no way they could avoid being hung, or get off the island.

His skin was starting to heat up, yet he felt his body shivering. Tilting his head back, he heard his breath still coming in pants. He was probably going to die without ever seeing his mother again, -or his sister. Sure, they would miss him for a while, but their financial situation would soon overcome that. Rin would be known on the island as the son of a settler who’d gotten involved with pirates and had always been a shady character. He’d die with these murderous pirates in a gross building that smelled like urine, blood, and other things Rin didn’t even want to think about.

Suddenly he was overwhelmed with the urge to vomit. Turning towards another side of the wall, his body convulsed as the remnants of his breakfast splattered onto the floor. Coughing, he choked back the pained tears in his eyes. Resting his head back against the wall, he tried not to think about the pool of vomit next to him. Catching his breath again, he groaned. Now the prison smelled like urine, blood, and vomit.

Rin observed the pirates from under heavy lids. All four of them were crouched around Nanase and Nagisa who looked the most injured. They hadn’t made a move when Rin had retched onto the floor, too consumed in a conversation the redhead couldn’t hear. Although Rin couldn’t remember exactly how he got into the prison cell, he figured it had something to do with that naval Commander.

After some muffled conversation in english, Nagisa dragged himself off of the floor and trudged over to Rin. The cell was only about 10 feet wide so it wasn’t much of a trek for the injured man. He dropped down against the wall beside Rin, huffing from the effort. He scowled at the barf beside Rin and shook his head scooting away from it. His blond hair was out of its tie and falling over his shoulders. Beads of sweat trailed down his face as he looked up at the ceiling.

“Don’t worry, we’re getting out of here”, he breathed with a little chuckle.

A naval guard passed by the cell holding a rifle over his shoulder. The cell’s inhabitants stiffened until he’d moved out of hearing range. As soon as he was gone, Nagisa scooted closer to Rin. The redhead found this unbearably uncomfortable, seeing as he was burning up from the night heat. He didn’t understand how the other weren’t affected.

“Hold still”, the blond muttered turning his back towards Rin.

Rin’s eyes lazily trailed down his back to where the shorter man’s hands were bound. Nagisa crossed his legs in front of him and inhaled deeply.

“ _I’ll need you to do me another favor_ ”, he whispered.

Rin was reluctant to do anything for the man who smiled while slicing another man’s stomach open, but he wasn’t left with much of a choice. Something about the blond’s confidence brought Rin a glimmer of hope. He’d gotten involved with these law breakers, and if they planned to get out he could only try his best to go along with it. Anything was better than sitting around and letting his mind waste away. The worst that could happen was that he would die faster.

Rin grunted his agreement.

“ _You see that writing over there by the gate? I need to know what it says_ ”, Nagisa nodded his head to the gate that led out of the main cell block.

Rin squinted in that general direction confused. He could barely see in the dim light provided by candles to what Nagisa was referring to. Along the curving wall that probably led back out into the main part of the building, white writing was scribbled along the ceiling.

“ _‘s patwa, can’t ya read it?_ ”, Rin mumbled glaring at the man who sat in front him.

“ _I’ve never seen anything like it before_ ”, Nagisa hissed back.

Rin cocked his head in a bit of confusion. Groaning, he tried to sit up a bit more so that he could see better, which only aggravated his injury. The blond was right, it looked familiar, yet different for some reason. He remembered seeing it carved into some his mother’s old jewelry.

“ _Says…_ ” Rin paused deciphering the words with a hint of a smile. “ _This island’s ours_ ”.

“What?” he looked confused, he wouldn’t understand something like that.

He looked up as Amakata stood over them, before sitting beside them. She avoided the mess beside Rin tactfully.

“When I first came here, this building only housed islanders. The naval bastards locked up anyone they pleased”, she spat glaring at the writing. “They didn’t pull that shit where I came from…”.

“Wow, I thought it would be some kind of secret way to get out of the prison”.

Rin looked at the blond as if he’d lost his mind. He couldn’t possibly be serious. There was only so much enthusiasm one could have until it just seemed stupid. Maybe the redhead had been in here longer than he thought. All he knew was that it was dark and cold. This crazy asshole wasn’t making sense.

“Why...why would that even happen?” Rin squinted through the dim light.

“Dunno, just thought it’d be helpful”, the blond shrugged and started twisting his wrists around. “Not that I need it. I’ve escaped from 28 prisons, going on 29”.

Rin could’ve sworn he was smiling. He pressed his body further into the stone wall searching for some kind of warmth against the shivers running up his spine. He’d never felt this cold in his life, yet he’d been overwhelmingly warm moments ago.

A loud crunching noise, brought his attention back to the man in front of him who was shaking. A sickly cracking followed the crunching as Nagisa’s breathing became heavier. The sound made Rin look at Nagisa’s hands, but he wished he hadn’t. The other man’s right thumb was pressed unnaturally close to the inside of his palm, helping his handcuffs slide from his wrist. With a labored gasp, which sounded more like a chuckle, the blond brought his hands in front of his face.

“Jesus, it hurts more than it did last time…”, he breathed.

Popping the joint back into place, Rin could hear Nagisa’s breathing return to normal. If being shot in the shoulder wasn’t enough, he’d just witnessed someone dislocate their thumb. Grinding his teeth together, he glared into the low ceiling. He was definitely going to throw up again as soon as he stopped shivering.

“Ready?” Amakata was standing again while tugging on the back of her dress, it slipped lower down her shoulders.

As she did so, Rin’s attention turned to the other prisoners. They were pressed up against the bars of their cells to take a close look at the sole woman in the building. Amakata lazily walked closer to the cell door, and pressed her shoulder through the bars. All attention was on her as Nagisa rubbed his sore wrists and tied his hair up.

“There’s a laddie howlin’ at the main topmast…”, Nagisa sang in a low voice. “Our skipper comes from Barbados…”.

When he got to the front of the cell, Rin noticed Makoto shifting closer to the gate, with his legs towards the bars. As Amakata began to flirt with men from the cell their opposite, he delivered a heavy kick to the base of a single bar where it connected to the stone below. The sound that echoed through the prison would’ve been noticeable if it wasn’t for Amakata getting everyone’s attention. The other prisoner’s hooting was loud enough to cover any other sounds. Makoto repeated his action as Nagisa observed the bar, calculating something. At the 3rd kick, the iron bar tilted slightly.

“He’s got the name Hammer Toes~”, Amakata continued Nagisa’s song, turning around to face Rin.

In one swift motion, she hopped over her arms and brought her hands to her front. Wriggling her wrists to get comfortable,  she reached down to tear another layer from her skirts. At this point, the whooping and hollering from the other inmates reached an annoying volume.

Rin gave Amakata a questioning look as she made her way back over to him to look at his injuries. Her careful eyes hardened when they reached his shoulder, that was not a good sign.

“He feeds us bread as hard as brass~”, she pressed the cloth to Rin’s shoulder, making him wince. “Our junk’s as salt as a bailer’s arse”, the woman sang.

With her attention now on Rin, the islanders in other cells yelled. They called to her, asking that she sing sweet songs to them and not that boy. If his shoulder wasn’t throbbing like crazy, Rin would’ve grinned at the utter stupidity of it all. But the brown-haired woman before him was doing her best to bandage him up while also creating a ruckus.

“What’s going on down there?!” a booming voice came from somewhere down the hallway.

Makoto scurried away from the bars of the cell and Nagisa shoved his arms behind his back. The blond stepped closer to the bars as 3 naval soldiers shuffled down the hall that lead to the entrance of the building. They’d probably come to disrupt any rowdiness that the prisoners had started. At this time, most of the other inmates had pressed into silence.

As one guard came towards the cell, he glared at Nagisa then turned on the rest of the inmates to hush them. His eyes stayed on the blond until he saw Amakata kneeling before Rin. With her hands in front of her.

“You, woman! How did you-”, he started but Nagisa had acted first.

Kicking the bottom half of the loosened bar with all his might, he dislodged the iron from its holding. It swung upwards, clipping the guard closest to the cell under the chin. He flew backwards spewing blood from his mouth. The other 2 guards stood in shock as Nagisa flattened himself through the space created.

The other inmates began to cheer as the blond picked up the rusted iron. He twirled it around his arms like a staff before pointing one end at his enemies. With a shit-eating grin on his face, he blew at his hair from the corner of his mouth.

“It’s a wonder how this sea air makes iron rust”, he swung his makeshift weapon downward, smacking it against another guard’s shoulder.

He fell to his knees yelling. The last guard pulled out his pistol, but Nagisa was faster. Striking him in the chest with the iron bar, he sent the man flying backwards. As the first 2 men stood up, Makoto was squeezing himself between the opening in the bars. Although he had his hands still cuffed, he looked just as fierce as Nagisa.

“You and your ideas”, he chuckled before running to kick a standing soldier in the chest.

“Can you stand?” Amakata was hovering over Rin during the commotion. “Reinforcements will be on their way”.

Rin squinted at her. After all they’d gone through, these guys still had fight in them. And all the while their captain had been collapsed in a corner. Rin turned his gaze to the man with black hair, his body still curled into a ball. Nodding his head, he looked into Amakata’s eyes. At least they weren’t leaving him to die.

With strength Rin wouldn’t have guessed to be hers, Amakata helped to haul him from the floor. Rin groaned loudly and wobbled from the pain, but eventually stood, leaning most of his weight on the woman. She helped him towards the escape space as Makoto and Nagisa took out the 3 guards.

Makoto spun his leg around catching 1 guard in the temple. He twirled to the ground theatrically with his gun flying into the air. The weapon landed on the ground out of the last guard’s reach as Makoto delivered another kick to this man’s nose. The last guard stood awkwardly for a moment before falling straight backwards. The blond and the brown-haired man stood heaving from the effort.

“See? Told ya my plans work”, Nagisa grinned and dropped the iron bar.

Men could be heard coming towards the cell block. Nagisa rummaged at a guard’s belt before finding a rung of keys. He first unlocked Makoto’s cuffs before systematically unlocking prisoner’s cells. He nodded to all of the islanders thanking him as he made his way through the cells.

Amakata carefully helped Rin through the small space before lowering him carefully against a wall to the ground. She then started to undress 1 of the unconscious naval guards.

“Wha…?” Rin didn’t have words.

Makoto slipped back into the cell and roused their unconscious captain who didn’t move. He ended up basically dragging Nanase to the opening and shoving him through it. Laying the unconscious man near Rin, he helped Amakata by undressing another guard. Nagisa joined in. They must’ve had some kind of miraculous plan of escape after all of that, but Rin was still in disbelief.

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Rin was currently pressed against the wall of a stone building near the port next to the one and only Captain Nanase. The salty and humid air near the port was as stifling as the moist air in the prison had been. Taking in deep breaths, Rin half wished someone would just cut his arm off and be done with it. The pain wasn’t getting worse, but the limb was starting to go numb. On top of everything, he still didn’t know why these pirates were even dragging him along, they could’ve easily dropped him off on some side street or left him in the cell.

After the crew started the riot in the prison and escaped, they’d managed to put every naval officer on the island on high alert. They were still trying to escape, but even to Rin, this didn’t seem to be going too well. After the excitement from their spectacular escape wore off, Rin was back to being skeptical about these assholes. Maybe Nagisa’s ‘great’ plan would end up like his last one had.

On top of everything, Nanase was still unconscious beside him. He’d been asleep the entire escape and had to be carried upon Makoto’s back. Rin was the injured one but they’d still made him stumble along. If he could’ve run away he would have, but he could feel his shoulder again, and it was burning like nothing he’d ever felt before. 

A little ways closer to the dock, Nagisa, Amakata, and Makoto were dressed in naval uniforms trying to persuade the dockmaster that they were supposed to be there, even that they were supposed to inspect a boat at the end of the dock. The two men were trying their best not to sway while Amakata had hurriedly tucker her hair under the sailor’s cap. They were lucky it was so dark out.

Rin fingered the ring back on his middle finger. When they’d retrieved their weapons from the front of the prison, they’d given Rin his ring back. He didn’t know what that meant about them, but it was a little bit of a positive sign.

The sound of a gunshot brought Rin’s attention back to the present. Looking around the corner of the building, he saw the dockmaster fall to his knees with blood streaming from his mouth. Rin shivered. He still wasn’t used to the idea that these pirates killed like it was nothing.

Soon Makoto and Nagisa were rushing over to them. Makoto hoisted their captain onto his back and Nagisa held his hand out to Rin who gave him a sideways glance.

“You guys can leave me here, go run off or whatever”, Rin mumbled slumping over.

“To be hanged?”

Rin took a deep breath before looking up.

“I can...Maybe I can talk the Commander out of-”

“Like hell, he hates us and anyone associated with us”, Nagisa frowned.

The blond yanked Rin up by his one good arm as the redhead muffled a groan.

“You’re coming with us. We needed a new chef anyways”, he grinned.

“Wh-”, Rin was surprisingly slung over the smaller man’s shoulder.

He'd have to get used to that with these people.

“C’mon bar-boy”, Nagisa was making his way to the dock.

As they caught up to Makoto and Amakata, Rin noticed the same black ship tied to the end of the dock as had been earlier in the day. It sat in the the water which reflected the moon brilliantly as it splashed against the wooden dock. He wondered how the navy missed the obvious pirate ship. Nagisa finally put him down as they got close to the ship. Rin stood unsteadily and watched as Makoto climbed onboard. The man with the glasses helped him up, then quickly turned and pointed back down the dock.

“NANASE!”

The Commander himself was running down the long expanse of wood that was the dock followed by the Lieutenant from before. Amakata faced him and pulled out a gun she’d stolen from a prison guard. With her finger still on the trigger, a lead shot tore through her chest, spraying blood on Rin. She stumbled backwards and hit the ground with a thud. Rin looked back down the dock to see the silver-haired man holding a still smoking rifle.

Shaking Rin felt his throat tighten. The woman was motionless on the ground beside his feet, she hadn’t even been able to use her weapon. Her lips were parted like those of the boy she’d killed earlier. Rin supposed it was ironic. Pressing his lips together, he felt self-preservation well up within him. It felt selfish, but he didn’t want to end up like her. It was true he’d become reserved to the idea of dying in the prison cell, but the escape and incredulous plans of the pirates had sparked a new reason to live in him.

Nagisa and Makoto were in action hauling Haru to his feet. The man with the glasses was reaching down to pull him on the ship. At this point, the Captain seemed to be roused by the noise. 

The Commander was loading his own gun as he approached the crew. Rin looked frantically between them. He could hit the ground and beg for mercy or he could try and help the pirates. The only options bounced around in his head until he finally decided.

“Water…”, Rin turned to hear Nanase speak for the first time since sundown.

Nagisa and Makoto nodded to each other as shots began to whizz through the air. Rin hit the deck clutching his injured arm. As he dropped, he felt the dock shift under him. Losing his balance he fell backwards into the water.

He watched as Makoto basically threw Nagisa on board then hauled himself up after. The untied boat started to drift away leaving Nanase at the edge. As Rin’s head lowered under the surface of the water, he tried to swim. His instincts told him that he could easily get to the edge of the dock. But his burning shoulder was telling him otherwise. before he knew it, he was sinking and drifting farther away from the wooden platform.

Rin’s head sunk lower until he could see the shining of the moon from under the surface of the water. He tried to kick upward, do anything to keep from sinking lower , but his limbs were unresponsive. As he started to give up, he let his body relax. The gentle coolness of the water held his injured body softly willing him to relax further. He watched little bubbles descend as darkness edged at his vision.

He wasn’t surprised he would go out this way. He always had a short temper, he wouldn’t have lasted long in life anyway. He could barely do his job right, he’d only ended up getting in the way of the pirates, and he couldn’t even help his family properly. Maybe it was better for him to just...drift. He wondered if the fish still liked him after all these years. Maybe he’d live with them. He wondered if even bothering to want to live was as stupid as struggling to survive.

From feet above him, Rin saw an object plunge into the water. With his lids closing heavily, he struggled  a bit as his air ran out. Panic rushed through his system as he sucked more salty water into his lungs. Widening his eyes he saw the shape move closer until it filled his vision. The fish had come for him.

He could feel his body moving in the water, but not under his control. Something was moving him, but he couldn’t stay awake to figure out what. With a few more gasps, Rin blacked out. He felt the cool salt water tickle his nose as he moved swiftly through it. He’d always felt calm in the ocean.

 

 

 

I found a sea shanty [here](http://shanty.rendance.org/lyrics/showlyric.php/island)

Thanks to [renkakirai](renkakirai.tumblr.com) for proofreading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tend to write pretty slow, but I will try to have the next chapter finished within the same time as this one was 0.0 But I've just started school and may start picking up an odd job so I'll become increasingly busy. I truly enjoy writing this story, so I'll try my best to stick it out and keep up ^^  
> I really want to thank renkakirai on tumblr for proofreading and helping me with my disorganized thoughts :3  
> I really appreciate comments and questions, they make writing this really worth it ^^ With feedback I hope to improve my writing


	3. Breathe Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up dazed and confused was becoming a bad habit for Rin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooooo sorry this chapter took so long but honestly school is killing me. Whenever I would get to writing, I would just be so drained and without energy. This took me a bit because I wanted it to be nice for you guys waiting on it ^^  
> Enjoy

Being in the water was like a second nature to Rin. The soft caress of the ocean as it held his body against the surface was calming like nothing else. The smell of salty air and the murmur of crashing waves lulled his mind into a serene tranquility. The azure waters belonged to him and no one else when he was like this. With the rising sun drying his salty skin, Rin felt invincible. He continued to float on his back until he was roused by the sound of movement in the water beside him.

Splashing caught his attention a little too late, and before the redhead could defend himself, he was flipped into the water. His heated skin made contact with the ice cold water shocking his system. Cool liquid rushed up his nose making him sputter and choke.

Surfacing from under the waves with indignation, Rin sputtered.

“ _Sousuke_!”

His best friend stood before him with a smug grin plastered across his face. Standing in the clear water that matched his eyes, he towered over Rin with his arms raised in defense. His drooping eyes crinkled in his amusement.

“ _Saved your life man, you coulda floated out to sea_ ”, he reasoned trying to hold back his laughter.

Rin reoriented himself and focused his playful fury on the boy before him. Sousuke had always been taller than him, even if he was younger, but Rin only took it into consideration at times like this. If he wanted to flip him into the water in retaliation, it would be extremely difficult.

“ _Yeah, yeah_ ”, he beamed back struggling through the resistant waves.

“ _Hey now…_ ”, Sousuke cautioned stepping back towards the shore. “I just came to pick you up, not fight”.

Even as the words left his mouth, he splashed gently in Rin’s direction.

“ _I bet Maya will be there_ ”, Sousuke wiggled his eyebrows.

Rin blushed at the name of the girl he had a crush on.

“ _Shut up!_ ”, the redhead was after him, crashing through the water.

He would try to tackle Sousuke then maybe splash him more. That was his master plan if it could be called that. But Sousuke was ahead of him, he’d turned completely around and was running through the water as fast as he could towards the beach. Rin growled following after him until he noticed his younger sister coming over a sand dune. Her vermillion hair sparkled like a vibrant sunset.

“ _Brother! We’re gonna be late and you still have to meet papa_ ”, she confronted the two boys as they stumbled onto the shore.

Rin nodded weakly and eyed Sousuke wearily. The idiot had probably come to get him but had gotten distracted. It was common that on the way to complete a job the two of them would end up getting sidetracked. Sousuke was currently trying to hold back his impulsive laughter as Gou scolded them.

Following his best friend and sister up a sand dune, the redhead took one last look at the shining water. He wanted so badly to be back out of the sun and in the cool liquid, but now he was headed off to change his clothes and meet his mother. With sand caking to the soles of his feet, Rin grinned, he would return to the sea a new man.

As they walked north towards the part of the island still dominated by the natives, the roads became less organized. Dirt trails became footpaths through dark soil. Rin’s damp, bare feet collected the thick dirt as they made their way towards the Matsuoka home.

The small cottages that lined the rocky portion of the island were positioned near the base of the land’s incline. They curved along the slope with the paths and sometimes stuck out right from the sides of cliffs. All was unusually quiet for the ceremony day in the village. Smoke wafted from the island’s highest point where the ceremony would be held.

Rin remembered when some soldiers had bustled through the village to try and convince the natives that they needed to build a base in the area. The redhead’s father had been the one to persuade them against it. Saying things about the possibilities for mudslides and inability to move supplies about. Even though the islanders were grateful to him, they never fully brought him into their lives.

As they reached Rin’s home, his mother rushed out of the cottage with a frustrated expression on her face. Rin realized he’d been out way longer than he was supposed to be. She would have to hurriedly clean and prepare him for the ceremony later in the day. Sousuke wholeheartedly laughed as Rin was dragged by his mother and yapping sister into his home. Even his best friend couldn’t save him from that.

Their little home had been built by Rin’s father after he proposed to his mother. It was a customary tradition for islanders to do so, yet many natives found a foreigner following their traditions offensive. Even if the hut had been built with expertise, it would never bring the Matsuokas closer to the rest of the villagers. However, Rin’s mother loved every inch of their home.

When he was yanked into the house, his mother first sat him down on a stool and started to comb through his messy hair. Wincing, Rin ground his teeth together as Gou brought a long cloth in from another room and began to wipe the dirt and sand from his feet. His hair was long past his shoulders, but that was only because he knew it’d be shaved off as part of the ceremony. There was no point in him tending to it. Rin tried desperately to keep his head from jerking back and forth at the mercy of the comb.

“ _It’s just gonna be cut_ ”, Rin growled as his mother busied herself with the knots in his wavy hair. “Don’t need to untangle it!”, he yelped as his mother tugged his hair into a tight braid at the back of his head.

“ _Trust me, it’ll be much easier this way_ ”, she finished with his hair and yanked him up to pull his damp trousers down off his hips.

 _“Ma_!”, Rin was about to cover his groin when his sister giggled and handed their mother a white cloth from the table.

“ _Hold stil_ l”, she grinned at him.

Rin was taller than her now, but his mother easily wrapped the thin cloth around his waist and tied the ends in a loose knot.

“ _Handsome…_ ”, she breathed stepping away from her son.

Gou had disappeared from the room, but Rin’s mother’s mouth had popped open as she stared at the boy; the man before her. Her son was turning 18 and preparing for his coming-of-age ceremony. Soon, he would be leaving her to become an apprentice somewhere and support himself. He’d grow bigger and stronger than she could’ve ever imagined.

“ _Oh Rin…_ ”, tears welled in her eyes as she clasped her hand over her mouth.

Rin’s eyes traced his mother’s face taking in the soft wrinkles developing at the corners of her eyes. Her curly hair was now usually tied up in a knot, unlike when she was younger. Rin thought she’d aged gracefully, with her crimson eyes keeping their childish glimmer.

Rin stood apart from her only wearing the thin cloth around his waist. He took a few moments to appreciate the toned definition of his arm muscles as he flexed. Looking up at his mother, he flashed a smug grin. He’d been waiting months for the ceremony that would leave his back and arms covered with permanent ink etchings.

Striding over to his mother, he held her in his arms. Her smaller body fit against his chest as he laughed into her hair.

“ _I’ll be fine, plus grandpa is gonna be there_ ”, the image of his mother’s stoic father passed through his mind.

He didn’t care so much about that man. What really bothered him was how the islanders had forbidden his father from attending the ceremonies. His mother had to basically beg her father to even allow Rin to participate in the first place. Because of his mixed blood many natives didn’t believe he was worthy of become a man to them. But his mother had defied them and shown them he was a true islander with her words. She wouldn’t let her only son miss out on the life-changing opportunity.

But the pressing fact was that his father still wasn’t accepted as part of the family even after he and his mother had been together for more than 18 years. He could tell most of the islanders tried to distance themselves from the Matsuoka family, Rin was lucky he had a friend like Sousuke to bridge the gap.

“ _Don’t mind what he says, I know he’s proud of you_ ”, his mother pulled away to thumb over his cheek.

Turning away, the curvy woman looked past Rin. When her eyes caught, he knew exactly who she’d seen. She always got a contented look in her eyes when she saw his father.

Rin’s father stood in the doorway from the study with one hand balled into a fist. He’d always been a tall, cheerful looking man. With his long strides, he bridged the distance between he and the redhead in seconds. Clapping Rin on the back, a hearty laugh rumbled through his chest. His pitch black hair was cut short in a very european manner that always made Rin’s grandfather sneer.

 _“_ So I guess you’re a man now, huh?” he teased roughing up the top of Rin’s head.

Rin grinned and moved away from the touch.

“ _You messed up the braid Papa!_ ” Gou came from the other room in her more formal wear.

Rin’s father stepped around Rin with a joking apology before he grabbed his wife by the waist and kissed her forehead. A light blush rose to her cheeks as she giggled, their usual flirtatious manner presenting itself yet again.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine” ,he turned back to Rin still holding onto his wife tightly.

“ _But Rin’s so clumsy…_ ”, Gou muttered.

 _“Hey_!”, Rin hissed at her, flicking her forehead.

Gou was about to come up with some retort but their father interrupted.

“ _Actually, I’ve got a good luck charm for you_ ”, uncurling one hand Rin’s father grinned. “ _My father gave it to me before I left home_ ”, the older man held a thin band of silver in his palm.

Rin had seen his father wear the ring many times, in fact he’d never seen it off the other man’s middle finger. A ring of pale skin was outlined by a dark tan on the finger in question.

“ _It should fit_ ”, Rin’s father continued before grabbing Rin’s hand and sliding the ring onto his thumb. “Uh...eventually”, he muttered in English.

Rin retracted his hand slowly, admiring the shining metal on his thumb. There was no way it would fit on his middle finger yet, but it fit nicely on his thumb. Grinning he pressed his lips together in silent thank you to his father. He was at a loss for words, the whole idea that he would soon go to the coming-of-age ceremony still wasn’t a solid idea to him.

“ _Why does that idiot get stuff?_ ” Gou whined folding her arms across her chest.

“ _Because he has to sit down for 4 hours while he gets tattoos_ ”, Rin’s mother chimed in with a smile.

Gou’s face seemed to pale in color as she looked at Rin who returned her frightened gaze. But it was too late for any regrets now. He’d plunged himself into the situation by pleading with his grandfather to allow the elders to perform the ceremony with him. Weeks of his mother and his combined persuasion had brought him to this point. He wanted it so badly, and he would finally be part of the village.

All of the times he’d been left out of children’s games and restricted from visiting other kid’s homes would be made up for. He would finally fit in somewhere. There was never any place for him with the settlers so this was his only option. Rin would become the man the village wanted him to be. Once he was accepted everything would go smoothly.

He’d have to go through pain, but it would be worth it.

****  
  


* * *

  


 

Snapping his eyes open, Rin heard his own shallow breathing bouncing off of the confines of a narrow room. Trying to adjust to the weak lighting, Rin squinted and pressed his lips together tightly. The humid air in the room was thick and abusive to the redhead’s sore throat as he tried to take deep breaths. Flexing his fingers, he reassured himself that he was in fact in possession of both of his arms.

He didn’t try sitting up immediately due to previous experience, he knew that would result in more pain than he was already feeling. Familiar nausea worked its way into Rin’s consciousness as he slowly became more alert. His shoulder had been severely wounded, but the pain was negligible. He felt his limb held tightly to his chest by some kind of bandage.

Running his tongue over his chapped lips, Rin let the events in his memory gain solidity. He could remember sinking down into the water, giving up completely as he lost sight of the surface. Thoughts of his family were lost to the man who hadn’t even seen his life flash before his eyes as blacked out.  He didn’t think he’d open his eyes again after that, even breathe again. Even in what he thought would be his last moment, he wasn’t thinking of his family. Selfish as always.

Using his right arm for support, Rin sat up slowly. It didn’t hurt as much as he expected it to. When he moved around, he could feel sore muscles strain and sore joints crack. A thin cloth blanket slid from his body as his hand pressed into the soft cushion under him. It was softer than any bed he’d ever been in. If felt like some the material his mother sometimes bought to make fancy dresses with.

Squinting through the dim light again, he saw a lantern on the short table to his right. He lit the wick and filled the small room with enough light to see. The scent of burning oil made him scrunch up his nose, it was unfamiliar. Sun tried its best to filter in through closed curtains, but the lantern’s light made the objects in the room visible. Pressing his back to the bed’s frame, Rin ran his fingers through his shoulder-length hair. It wasn’t as greasy as he was used to, so he cursed under his breath. The potent images of his dream rocked through his mind.

The smell of salt in the air brought Rin’s attention back to the important matter at hand. He wasn’t sure where he was, his shoulder had been fixed up somehow, and he was in someone’s bed. (He hadn’t slept in an actual bed in a long time). Slinging his legs over the edge, the redhead groaned at the stiffness.

Not only was he lacking a shirt, but he could see bruises starting to form along his torso. The splotches of dark green-ish yellow that peppered his chest looked like a terrible painting.  Patches of bandage covered places where he assumed he had serious injuries. Running his right hand’s fingers over his chest, he reached towards his left shoulder to inspect the wound.

Covering his joint was a thick layer of bandage that ran down his bicep. A thin gauze cloth bound his arm against his chest in a kind of sling. A spot of blood had dried at the center of his wound through the cloth.

Grunting, he stood while holding onto the night table at his side for support. He only wore canvas short trousers tied around his waist with twine. His first thought was: ‘Someone changed my clothes’.

“ _Motherfucker…_ ” Rin groaned and stumbled towards the door on the other side of the bed.

The redhead’s eyes traced the room and caught on the small trinkets that lined the walls either on shelves or just haphazardly nailed to the wall. The exotic items included shrunken heads, incredible amounts of keys, maps, charts, and a few paintings of the ocean. Rin paused to observe one painting in particular, which snatched his attention. It was of a golden goblet pouring the ocean’s waves from over the moon. Frowning, Rin knit his eyebrows together.

Shifting his left arm a bit, the redhead winced and continued towards the door. There was no point staring at a painting if he didn’t know where the hell he was. The floor was rocking beneath him as he dizzily put his hand on the handle and yanked open the door. He’d realized when he woke up that he was not in fact in the possession of Nanase’s folder. Someone had taken it from him and whoever it was might be the same person who’d bandaged him up. He sure as hell hadn’t been captured by the navy, they would’ve let him die.

Stepping out into the galley, Rin was almost overwhelmed by the strong smell of cooking fish. Memories of the Siren flooded his mind. He half expected to see their cook messing about with pots and pans. Squinting into the brighter sunlight, his eyes caught on someone standing over cooking food. Closing the door behind him silently, Rin crept closer to the brown-haired man.

“I’m glad you’re awake, Rin”, Makoto turned on him wielding an unnecessarily large chef’s knife.

Rin froze and could’ve sworn his heart stopped. Where the hell was he and why was that weird pirate guy standing there in an apron cooking food? Before Makoto could say more, Rin was stumbling for stairs with the best of his ability. He could hear gulls from above and smell the ocean. They must be somewhere near the sea.

 **  
**Rin really didn’t like being right all the time.

As soon as he’d stepped onto the upper level of his confinement, he came to realize that it was the deck of the very ship he’d seen the pirates on before. The schooner’s massive black sails towered high above his head and blocked out the the sun in the east. Rin started to panic as his eyes searched around for something familiar. All he found was endless water as far as the eye could see.

Feeling crushing dizziness wash over him, Rin crumpled to the ground still clutching his injured arm. None of this could be real, there was no way in hell he was on a fucking pirate ship. So many questions popped into his head as seagulls cried above him. They’d actually gone and dragged him along onto their ship. Rin could only imagine what they had planned for some islander who could barely hold his own in a fight.

He was, gods knew where, with no means of going home. Rin knew nothing more about sailing than the few things his father had shown him before he’d died. He couldn’t simply turn the ship around and head home. Even if he could steer the vessel, he hadn’t the slightest idea where to go. He’d have to figure out some way to get back to his family, they needed him, even in his injured state.

“So you’re awake”, it wasn’t a question so much as a statement of fact.

Rin managed to stand up while wobbling and turn on the man who was addressing him. He stood a little less than his height with signs of black stubble covering his chin. The man’s bright blue eyes reminded Rin of someone else, but his hair was too short. His tired gaze sent a chill down Rin’s spine that wasn’t exactly unwanted.

“Where…?” Rin tried looking out at the miles of water surrounding the ship.

“Captain!” Rin spun around to see Nagisa climbing down from the main mast.

The black-haired man turned to the blond and nodded.

“We’re only about 2 days from our destination”, Nagisa eyed Rin quickly as he placed rolled tobacco between his lips.

“Captain?” Rin asked looking at the man who’d spoken to him first.

Just then Makoto came from below-deck running his fingers through his hair. The taller man walked casually over to the group with his normal dopey smile. Nagisa lit up and took a drag with an amused grin.

“Lunch is ready”, he commented simply pulling the apron over his head.

“It better not be mackerel again or I’m gonna cry…”, Nagisa whined.

“Suck it up”, the Captain retorted.

Makoto tossed Nanase a bottle of rum he’d apparently been holding.

“Wait, Captain?” Rin tried again to get everyone’s attention.

Apparently they’d forgotten that not only was he not supposed to be here, but that he had no idea what was going on. He’d simply gotten shot and taken to jail with them. He didn’t ask to be dragged onto their goddamn pirate ship. If anything, they should just explain to him why they hadn’t left his ass to drown.

In the midst of Rin’s thoughts, he realized Nagisa was practically doubled over laughing.

“He’s been out for 4 days, of course he’s confused”, Makoto said genuinely concerned.

Nagisa was still snickering but managed to point childishly at the black-haired man who slapped his hand away.

“Y’know, Captain Nanase? The guy you were ogling in the tavern?” the blond held back more laughter.

“I-I wasn’t…”, Rin started with a blush then blinked.

There was no way this was the same man as the one who’d barely been able to support himself. The man before him stood with a confidence that Rin only saw on naval officers. With his shoulders firmly squared, the Captain clenched his jaw. Rin watched as the muscles underneath his skin tensed, accenting the sharpness of his jaw. He flared his nostrils in a bit of irritation before sighing.

At that point Nanase looked over all of them with an amused glare and took a swig of his rum.

“Yup”, he nodded before turning his attention back to the alcohol.

Rin’s mouth dropped open unattractively. The man before him wore only a thin vest on his shoulders and the same trouser shorts Rin himself wore. His sun-kissed skin glistened in the light of day along with his glittering eyes. What really threw the redhead off, was the short black hair that was now shaped closer to his scalp and the lack of a beard. The stubble that peppered down his chin and neck merely cast a shadow on his already tanned skin.

Rin definitely didn’t think he cleaned up nice. Not at all.

“Nanase Haruka, Captain of the Indigo Lightning”, Nanase removed his hat and pressed it to his chest in a bow. “Pleasure to meet you”, he looked up at Rin through his thick lashes.

Rin swallowed thickly. They’d already met, but the second time was definitely better. The redhead nodded dumbly and looked at the other two men standing around him. He was standing there in only pants and it was suddenly starting to bother him. Once again, he was out of place. No different from at home.

“Welcome aboard”, the black-haired man continued as his face relaxed into the familiar bored look Rin was used to. “Lunch is now being served”, he started towards the galley muttering something about how his ship ‘wasn’t a damned petty transport vessel’. His casual swagger and superiority was definitely attractive.

Rin just stared after him, embarrassingly.

“How did he- Wasn’t he sick or something?” Rin tried to move his arms around but hissed at the pain from his bandaged shoulder.

“Careful, Rei had to dig that bullet out of your shoulder after Haru resuscitated you”, Makoto soothed.

“He what?” Rin ignored the first part about some stranger cutting his shoulder open.

“Bet you woulda liked that huh? The Captain was sucking your face until you started breathing again”, Nagisa made kissy faces with the cigarette between his teeth.

Rin decided it was best not to ask anymore questions for the time being. Scowling at the deck, Rin hoped neither of the other men could see the hint of pink rising to his cheeks. He obviously wouldn’t get any straight answers. It could wait for him to find out where they were and where they were heading. He was just grateful for them being able to save him. But he could’ve sworn no one should’ve been able to dive that deep for him. He couldn’t even see the surface of the water when he was drowning.

Rin’s stomach grumbled loudly. Somehow he’d ignored his hunger.

“Good thing lunch is ready, then you can meet Rei and thank him”, Nagisa practically bounced down into the galley after stomping out his cigarette butt.

“Don’t worry Rin, you’ll fit in here in no time”, Makoto motioned for the redhead to follow him.

Makoto was mistaken. He didn’t want to fit in. He didn’t even want to be here. He’d left his mother and sister back home and now he was floating off somewhere in the middle of the goddamn ocean. Anger grew within Rin’s chest but he simply asked:

“Uh...Where’s my shirt?”

****  


Fitted in a semi-clean shirt, Rin sat a wooden table on a barrel.

Lunch was probably the best he’d had in a long time. It was a full coursed event with a main dish and many sides. He knew his mother tried, but they simply couldn’t afford it. On the table was a large platter of grilled fish and around the entree were bowls of rice, peas, fruits, and bottles of rum. Rin’s mouth watered as he eyed the food hungrily. As soon as Nagisa grabbed an almost stale roll from one end of the table, Rin dug in.

The first few months after his father’s death, their family was able to eat as usual using saved money. But as the time dragged on, unforeseen  misfortunes drained more and more money from their savings. One of the finishing blows was the treatment they had to pay for when his mother came down with some kind of fever. By the time she’d recovered, weaker than ever, they needed a new source of income. At around that time, Rin’s grandparents passed as well. Everything seemed endlessly dark.

If only he could fill his stomach, he could think better, he reasoned. There had to be a reason why he hadn’t had a complete breakdown yet. In his hungry, disoriented state there was no way his mind could fully comprehend what was going on. If he ate, then maybe he’d regain his anger. Rin fiddled with his ring nervously.

Using his uninjured arm to the best of his ability, Rin shoveled portions of food into his mouth. He had no idea what Nagisa was talking about, they definitely didn’t need a new cook, Makoto was fine. The grilled fish was perfectly salted and the rice sweet and buttery.

Rin looked up when one of the wooden chairs scraped against the floor. A familiar blue-haired man had his nose buried in a bamboo lined paper as Nagisa pulled out a chair for him. Once seated, he scooted closer to the table and laid his readings on its surface. Keeping his eyes glued to the thin paper, he reached out for food and began munching. The redhead observed the way his purple eyes stayed in one spot over the page. Considering the thin frames perched on the bridge of his nose, Rin assumed he could read. Yet his eyes didn’t move from the single spot.

As he continued to eat, Rin lost interest. He obviously didn’t see the need in introducing himself, so Rin continued to stuff food into his mouth. Each time he peeked up to watch the last member of the pirate crew, he noticed Nagisa putting more food into his reaching distance. The blue-haired man easily took what he was offered and hummed his appreciation.

“Rin, this is Rei”, Nagisa practically beamed

Rin nodded numbly. Knowing the other man’s name didn’t mean much to him. He was grateful that he’d removed the dangerous bullet from his shoulder, but other than that, he didn’t know much about the man. Rei didn’t look up from his reading or acknowledge Rin’s existence. It seemed he didn’t care about introductions either.

“Uh...thanks for saving my life”, Rin managed, pausing to let some of the food in his gut digest.

Rei looked up at him with a blank expression and blinked slowly.

“You’re lucky the bullet didn’t nick your subclavian artery or you would’ve bled out in seconds”, he answered.

“My what?”

“Or even worse, if you’d let that bullet stay in your joint, the wound would’ve festered, pussed, and been horribly infected. You’d’ve died in under a week”, he finished looking back at the paper. “...what an ugly way to go…”.

Rin froze and furrowed his brows at the man. He was saying all kinds of things as if Rin should be grateful they’d even met. But all of this was the pirate’s fault, if they hadn’t showed up, he wouldn’t have gotten shot in the first place. It was all their fault that the navy was after him, so even if he tried to go home, he’d be arrested and hanged.

"Look, I didn’t ask to be-”

“He just means that he’s glad you made it”, Makoto interrupted trying to soothe the situation. “Rei is our medic, and he sees lots of bad injuries, but yours was pretty bad”.

Rin frowned.

“But Rei’s really good at treating wounds, so we weren’t worried”, Nagisa added, mouth full of food.

Rei grumbled something under his breath in response. Rin scratched at the thin fabric wrapping his left arm and went back to eating. Apparently he’d met the entire crew already, but he felt no sense of excitement from it. There was a happy man with a mysterious scar, a flirtatious translator, and a sassy medic all captained by a famous drunkard pirate.

“What’s with the ink?” Makoto piped up. “I noticed the drawings cover your back and shoulder”, he seemed a little curious.

Rin didn’t pause his eating but glared at his food in a bit of confusion. The collar of his shirt was so loose that it hung from his shoulders like drying laundry. Both his shoulders were visible from behind the yellowing fabric but he hadn’t been self-conscious about it until now. Swallowing the contents of his mouth, his eyes trained down at the arch of etched lines curving over his shoulder and across his chest.

“It’s for when I became a man…”, he shrugged the question off. “It’s this huge ceremony in my village for boys”.

The pirates wouldn’t understand even if he explained the significance of the markings. The dots and shapes that resembled animals would never hold meaning to outsiders. Rin thought of the similar tattoos on not only Sousuke, but his manager Seijuro as well.

Choking a little on salted fish, Rin stared down at the rest of his food. He’d gone and left Sousuke at home while he was out here eating a meal better than any islander had ever seen. His throat burned as he guiltily picked up another roll. The pirates didn’t seem concerned with Rin’s frustrated demeanor, but he couldn’t blame them. They sailed the world for a living without a set place to return to. But they’d stolen Rin away from people who depended on him, people he needed.

“Why the hell am I here?”

Makoto looked over at him, expressionless as he chewed his food.

“What do you mean?”

Rin sneered. Slamming his fist onto the table, all eating ceased. All eyes turned to the odd one out who wasn’t so content with being out at sea.

“Why did you take me away from my home and ruin my life?” he shouted back.

“From what I saw at the tavern things didn’t seem to be going so well for you anyway”, Nagisa shrugged tearing into an apple.

Rin turned to their nonchalant captain. His thin, pink lips were parted gently as he took Rin in. Maybe he himself didn’t know why they’d brought a stranger into their crew. Nanase narrowed his eyes and furrowed his thin brows. His hardened stare still looked just as tired as when Rin had first met his eyes.

Picking up a bottle of rum, Nanase tossed it to Rin from his seat across the table. Rin caught the toss but was so surprised that he made a squeaking noise. Placing his bare feet onto the floor, he grabbed his own bottle of alcohol. Taking a swig, the black-haired man held the container before him.

“Take a drink”, Nanase raised a toast.

The other members of his crew raised their bottles, even Rei who had been so engrossed in whatever it was he’d been reading. The thin frames of his glasses drooped from the bridge of his nose but it seemed as if he had no intention to fix them. Dark circles ringed his dark eyes hardening his annoyed expression.

Rin was about to argue when he met Nanase’s eyes again. Their vibrant hue was mesmerizing.

Picking up the bottle of sweet liquor, Rin licked his dry lips.

“To Rin, who barely escaped death’s door”, Nanase started. “And to Miho, who couldn’t”, the captain took a heavy swig of rum.

The other pirates followed suit.

Rin sat staring at Nanase as an expression of horror crossed his face. He’d been so caught up in his anger and frustration, that he’d overlooked the loss of a life. Sure, the pirates had killed many naval officers, but the Mistress had never held any ill will towards him. She’d even bandaged his injury before they were taken to the prison.

Lifting the rum to his lips, Rin closed his eyes. The pungent scent of the alcohol burned the redhead’s nose, yet he pressed his lips to the rim and gulped down a few sips. The sweet, burning liquid made his mind hazy and lightened his spirit.

“To Miho”, Makoto added solemnly.

Nagisa and Rei grunted in agreement before taking another sip of rum. The tension in the room hung heavily from all the men as their lunch cooled on the table. Rin continued to drink the alcohol enjoying the numbing sensation it brought along with it. He rarely drank liquor, but he would toast to Mistress Amakata.

“What...happened to her body?” Rin inquired.

“We couldn’t…”, Makoto trailed off, anxiously running his hand down his arm.

“We set a lantern out”, Nagisa swirled the rum around in his bottle.

Rin nodded. It was common for the body to be burned after the dead had been properly memorialized. But without a body, there wasn’t much they could do to mourn her passing. Rin felt a tightness in his chest that was all too familiar. Loss was always hard.

The more Rin sat in silence with the pirates, the more rum he drank. When the light filtering from the upper levels of the ship began to fade, he felt his throat tighten. Leaning heavily on his right arm, Rin watched as the pirates began to resume normal conversation. With tears prickling behind his eyes, a misplaced laugh burst from his chest.

“How did you know her?” Rin heard his words melting together.

Nagisa leaned back in his chair and slammed his feet onto the table. Gulping down more of the alcohol, he finished his bottle. Tossing it aside, he looked thoughtful. His eyes searched around for another bottle of alcohol within his reach, but he couldn’t find such a thing.

“Old friend who always helped us out”, he started digging in his pockets for matches and a cigarette.

“She owed us a favor”, Makoto was looking solemnly at his still half-full bottle.

“She always knew how to find rare items when no one else could”, Nagisa lit up. “She got us the maps”.

“Maps?”, Rin asked.

“Y’know, the folder Haru gave you?” Nagisa exhaled smoke into the room.

“That’s covered in your blood…”, Rei muttered still glaring holes into the paper.

“Oh”, Rin nodded gently finishing his first bottle, a little more relaxed.

Nanase  saw that Rin was empty, and slid him another bottle without words. He seemed to be trying to soothe him in his own way. Rin guessed it wasn’t so bad being on the pirate ship. It sure was better than being hanged in front of his family and friends back home. Yet he still, wished he could’ve at least said good-bye. If only to reassure his mother that he would come back to her.

“Whaddaya need ‘em for?” Rin felt his speech relax to a more casual tone.

“We’re pirates, we find shit”, Nagisa chuckled finally finding another bottle of rum.

Makoto’s deep voice was added to the blond’s lighter tone. They seemed to find their profession amusing.

“Why’d ya give me somethin’ so important?”, Rin drawled.

“‘Cause nobody woulda checked ya”, Nagisa giggled and uncorked his bottle.

Rin nodded happily and took another swig of rum. The faces around him were beginning to sway. The room was warming up and the weight on his shoulders lifting.

“Makes sense”, he took another sip. “Just a runt”, he laughed fully.

Nagisa laughed along, only pausing to translate for the brown-haired man beside him. Makoto burst into hearty laughter clutching his stomach. Even with the delay of the joke, the three of them found it just as amusing. Rin had even forgotten to speak in English.

“Reminds me when we went to dis place wit peoples barely up ta my hip”, Makoto gestured standing up. “Thought they was kids!”

“Yer tall anyways”, Nagisa poked his side, making both of them laugh.

Rin grinned at their closeness. Taking another sip of rum he pointed at Nanase.

“So...Cap’n, you...uh…”, Rin forgot some of the words he was looking for in english. “How close were you an’ the Mistress?” he managed.

Nanase only looked him with a puzzled expression before he turned to the blond across the table.

“Whoops!” he chirped. “He’s askin’ on you ‘n Miho”, Nagisa sipped from his bottle giggling.

Rin nodded dumbly resting his head on the table’s surface. His hair tickled his neck as it slid from his shoulders. Nanase simply looked at him with his tired expression and sighed.

“Business partner”, he said bluntly.

But Rin could tell from his pause it was more than that. From the way they’d acted at the tavern, they had to have known each other longer. Looking through the darkened glass of his bottle at Nanase, Rin frowned. He didn’t like the way the Captain was looking a little troubled.

“She was helping us out because she grew up on an island near yours. She knew the people. It was easier that way”, Haru shrugged contemplating something. “Seems I dragged her into trouble”.

Although Nanase wasn’t visibly shaken up by the matter, his tone betrayed hints of regret. Rin blew a strand of hair from in front of his eyes. Sitting up, he combed the locks from his face. Taking another sip of rum, he chose his words carefully.

“She wouldn’t have helped you unless she’d wanted to”, Rin watched the Captain’s eyes as they shifted onto his.

The black-haired man was taking him in again, digesting his words and trying to find out their true meaning. Finding nothing negative, he nodded and finished his second bottle of rum. His expression seemed a little lighter as he stood up from the table. Walking around towards Nagisa, he snatched his cigarettes and matches. The blond whined before almost falling out of his chair. Heading out to the deck, he disappeared up the stairs.

All the while, the other’s side conversations had become white noise to Rin. Turning to face him, he watched as Nagisa and Makoto reminisced about their past adventures. Tuning in to hear the fantastic stories, the redhead tried to get his mind off of the solemn captain who’d gone off to grieve by himself. Brushing his hair from his eyes, he still felt the effects of the alcohol on his system. He knew he was smiling, yet he couldn’t quite figure out why. He knew all of this should have been maddeningly frustrating, but in that moment he’d accepted his fate. He was here now with these people and he might as well get used to it.

“Yo, Makoto!” Rin interrupted the blond from another of his stories. “Help me out?”

Makoto looked to Rin then back at his rum. Leaving the bottle on the floor he stood up, and wobbled past an annoyed Rei over to the islander. It took him longer than expected to get to the other side of the table.

“Hmm?” he hummed with a sloppy grin.

“Cut this for me, will ya?” Rin bunched all of his long hair in his fist.

Rei looked up from his reading and eyed Rin carefully.

“Just take a knife and chop it off”, he shrugged. “Not like you need I for anything right?”

Rin considered the idea while Nagisa ran off to find an appropriately sized cutting utensil. Within the next few minutes, they debated who should be the one to removed Rin’s excess hair with drunken games and laughing. In the end, the least drunk of them all grabbed the knife and finished the business quickly. Rei even managed to give Rin a nice shave and trim the back of his head. Rei shoved the tufts of Rin’s hair into his good hand.

“There! Now will you all leave me at peace?” he shooed the rest of the crew out of the galley.

Rin noticed Nagisa linger behind with the blue-haired man while Makoto stumbled to where Rin assumed his room was. Making his way up the stairs onto the main deck, Rin staggered up to the railing lining the boat and watched the waves crash against the body of the vessel. Dumping his vermillion locks into the unforgiving depths of the ocean, he felt as if he was letting go. The waves separated his locks until they disappeared into the foam

Tears streamed from his eyes endlessly clouding his sight as he looked up at the shining moon hidden mostly by thin clouds. Choking back the rest of his sobbing, Rin curled up against the railing of the ship and let his shoulders shake violently. Gripping the wood tightly, he cursed everything and anything he could think of. His life was changing too fast and it was too far out of his control to do anything about it.

Looking out across the seemingly black waves, Rin thumbed over the ring on his middle finger. He silently apologized to his father for abandoning his mother and sister, and wished they would be able to survive without him. He pictured his mother’s sweet face when she found out he was missing and presumed dead. The way she would cry for hours, hoping the best for her son.

Rin thought of the other possibility that he’d been left to be hanged. He imagined Gou looking up to her brother with a noose tight around his neck. The tears in her eyes as Seijuuro held her when she shook. The naval officers would mercilessly pull the lever and his neck would crack loudly, dislocating from the rest of his spine as his lifeless body hung by the thick rope.

Either way would bring pain and sadness.

The scent of burning tobacco wafted through the air making Rin look behind him. Leaning against the main mast, the Captain watched him from under his tricorne. Closing the distance between the two of them, Nanase rested his elbows on the railing. Looking out across the ocean, he exhaled smoke from his nose and tossed the cigarette butt into the water.

“I’m not watching”, his azure eyes stayed trained on an unforeseeable location.

At his words, Rin collapsed back onto the railing into tears. Sobbing heavily, he didn’t bother holding back. It was probably because he was drunk, but didn’t care that a stranger was beside him. Tears seemed to rush from his eyes but he couldn’t hold them back. He choked a few times on the sobs that dried his throat, making it burn. Every time he thought he couldn’t cry any longer, a new rush of pain would ripple through his chest causing more tears.

When his eyes dried and his throat was raw and dry, Rin rested his chin on his right arm. Looking out at the crashing waves, he imagined he could see Iwatobi far off in the distance. The little lights of the main port shone through the cloudy night, inviting him home. But as the moon was covered in another veil of clouds, the image was gone. Lost to the sea.

“Why am I here?” Rin asked.

He wouldn’t accept a nonsensical answer this time.

Nanase didn’t look at him for a long while. His eyes flitted back and forth watching the waves, then the clouds. His tongue even swiped over his lips a few times. After a few moments he turned to Rin, his features suddenly bright, eyes shining. The redhead’s heart skipped a beat at the sight.

“You weren’t meant to die like that”, he answered finally.

Rin reached to run his fingers through hair that wasn’t there, but ended up rubbing his scalp where Rei had shaved it down. Maybe he should’ve thought that through longer.

“I’m no good to anyone here either”.

“True”.

Rin blinked at him and parted his lips to speak but couldn’t find words. Haru looked back out at the ocean.

“So make yourself useful”, he added stepping away from the railing. “Work starts early tomorrow, so get some rest”, Nanase started back towards the galley.

Rin nodded but paused.

“Where should I sleep?”

“Where you slept before”, Haru continued walking.

“Which is…?”

“My room”.

Rin stared after the black-haired man gripping the banister tightly. He would have to get used to all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I don't know how long it'll take me to get the next chapter out, but don't worry its coming. I don't plan on quitting this project anytime soon. I really love this AU and I'm interested to see where I can take. I hope you guys can stick around ^^  
> Once again, thanks so much to my lovely beta-reader, renkakirai :3  
> Comments are widely appreciated^^

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to bother me on tumblr: shawty-heichou


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